Heat Wave
by In-betweens
Summary: Andrea Sachs is trying to navigate her way through her continued tenure at Runway magazine six months after Paris Fashion Week. While New York City is suffering through an early heatwave at the onset of the summer Andrea has to live through a chain of events caused by the heatwave that she would have rather avoided. (Alpha/Beta/Omega Verse Mirandy. Alpha!Miranda, Genderbending)
1. Chapter 1

**Title** : Heat Wave  
 **Author** : InBetweens  
 **Plot:** Andrea Sachs is trying to navigate her way through her continued tenure at Runway magazine six months after Paris Fashion Week. While New York City is suffering through an early heatwave at the onset of the summer Andrea has to live through a chain of events caused by the heatwave that she would have rather avoided.

 **Author's Note** : This is my entry in the MirAndy Fun and Frolic Writers Bingo challenge. I have taken on a challenge from Lara where I combine all of the prompts on one bingo sheets into one story. This is the result of that.  
 **Author's Note 2** : This story contains Alpha/Omega/Beta themes, though they will eventually become prevalent they are mostly in the background for the start.

* * *

 **Part 1**

-.-.- **Thursday, June 28th 2007** —.-.-.-.-

New York City the last week of June was a blistering sweltering boiling mixing pot of all types of people. With the thermometers reading well into the 100's for the third day in a row, the city and its inhabitants were starting to melt into diverse pools of goop. The fact that it was this hot so early in the summer astounded Andrea. She expected this kind of heat from the end of July and beginning to mid-August, not June 28th!

July 4th hadn't even passed by yet, and according to the Accuweather forecast the heat wasn't going to let up for the holiday week either.

Andrea (Andy) Sachs despised the heat. It was incredibly uncomfortable. She would much rather it be in the midst of a cold front where cold blizzard filled days were threatening the tristate area rather than this heat wave and the sweltering heat. Add on to the fact that Andrea's job required her to remain outside in this nauseating heat, made her long for the chill of December and January with a passion. The designer clothing she wore, thanks to her job at Runway magazine, stuck to her sweaty skin more often these days than not. No matter her attempt to wear clothing that remained airy and kept her as cool as possible, after running errands around town, her skin glistening with sweat, the material started to stick in very uncomfortable ways.

It was like the heat just wouldn't release her from its grasp. Even after being tortured throughout the day with the suffocating warmth, her nights were just as warm. The temperature barely going below 80 degrees even in the dead of night. Andrea's air conditioning hadn't even been installed until last night. And even then it was second hand and barely cooled off four feet in front of it, let alone her entire apartment.

In an effort to remain as cool as possible Andrea had taken to wearing boxers, and only boxers, to bed. The satin pajamas she had gotten from Miranda for Christmas last year, cast offs that the Fashion editor hadn't wanted, were abandoned for the time being. An old ratty pair of boxers with faded red valentine hearts were her best friends at night.

Andrea was having a hard enough time sleeping at night. Dreams of Miranda Priestly, her older, meaner, exotic alpha boss, tormented her night after night with unending scenarios of shared passion. Even before this heat wave Andrea woke in a warm sweat most mornings. Now, she was constantly washing her sheets and her fevered body, for they and her were soaked down to the bare bones after a long night of her wet dreams.

The twenty-six year old started waking up a half an hour earlier every morning so she could get in a nice cold shower to calm herself and be presentable. Andrea attributed the disturbed, uncomfortable, sleep and heat with her grouchy mood.

Andrea prided herself on being a charismatic person, kind, even-tempered, personable, and welcoming. Yet she felt like her personality had been on a slip scale suddenly as she was short tempered, rude, closed off, and downright aggressive with strangers, and even some co-workers. Emily, Nigel, and Serena were facing the brunt of her wrath.

Mostly, Andrea realized that she couldn't stand the scent of people around her. It was as if people had decided to stop buying deodorant or being decently hygienic people. It was hot and stuffy and the air was thick and rife with disgusting scents. Scents that Andrea had never smelled before in her 26 years on this earth including the three years she'd been in New York.

Andrea's ire was sky high particularly after her errand runs. She hid it well from Miranda, because she wouldn't dare be anything but pleasant and cordial with Miranda. She valued her life after all, and her job.

It had nothing to do with the fact that she was also infatuated with Miranda. The woman was the walking, talking personification of perfection in Andrea's eyes and no one could say otherwise. Andrea's glasses were so rose colored it was like the world bled red when it came to Miranda. Yet, she wasn't naive. She knew what Miranda was capable of, she'd seen it first hand in Paris last year when Miranda had dashed Nigel's dreams in order to keep control of her kingdom. Although Andrea had started out as an outsider in this world of glamor and prestige, she was now one of the hundreds of minions who'd happily genuflect to their reigning Queen.

Miranda Priestly was the most intoxicating Alpha Andrea had ever met. Although the halls of Runway were crowded with both alphas and betas there was no question in the air of who was the most powerful alpha of them all. The way that Miranda held herself, regally above all others, was only amplified by the aura of her power. Physical, intellectual, emotionally, all of it. There was no way any beta in the vicinity would not show their neck in submission to the powerful woman with nothing more but a look.

Miranda was what Andrea's generation considered a Super Alpha.

For as long as the human race had been in existence there were hierarchies. Not only in the sense of social hierarchies that determined a person's station in life, but also biological hierarchies. For thousands of years there were three distinct biological definitions for humans: Alphas, Betas, and Omegas.

It was only within the last hundred or so years that the trio paradigm of biological definitions shrunk down to two. Two very distinct categories as there hadn't been a confirmed omega in nearly a hundred and fifty years. With only two dividers societal needs started to create subsects of the two groups and as the generations changed so too did the subdivisions that divided the human breeds.

A Super Alpha was an alpha male or female that radiated power and control over betas and Lesser Alphas. These Super Alphas were rare, as there weren't many who could command the control needed to tame another alpha, but they existed, and now Andrea was left basking in the light of one every day.

Except right now.

Now, Miranda was on the 38th floor in a meeting with Irv and the Board of Directors of Elias-Clarke.

Andrea herself was, well, she presented as a Lesser Alpha, but that was only thanks to the suppressants she'd been using since she had presented at age 16 as an omega. Her parents, fearing for her safety, had found underground assistance to help hide her status as an omega—the _**first omega**_ in over a hundred and fifty years. As an omega, Andrea would be sought after by all, as even a hundred and fifty years ago omegas were prized. But as the omega numbers had dwindled, the care they had been given lessened, as they became a rare commodity that only those with power or money could afford. Being an omega was as good as being a body slave.

Andrea's parents did not want that for her, so they helped her hide in plain sight as a lesser alpha. So far, no one ever suspected a thing, sometimes even Andrea herself wondered if she was really an omega. After all, she had just turned 26 and she had never experienced her first heat. Then again, she had also never experienced her first rut either. People's statuses weren't much spoken about in polite society. It was the norm to forego introducing one's self based on their biological breed. You did not go around telling people that you preferred oral sex to penetration and you did not go around telling people you were a bottom or a top either.

It was much like how sex wasn't spoken about in a public forum, it was too taboo. The only time sex was spoken about was with close friends, (rarely with family) and with prospective lovers. So to was it just assumed that one's biological definition would be ignored until it _**had**_ to be spoken about, mostly during heats and ruts, when it couldn't be ignored.

That didn't mean it wasn't easy to spot specific types. It wasn't just about a person's personality that helped identify them as an alpha or a beta. It was in their scents as well. Alphas and betas gave off vastly different scents.

But the ability to identify someone based on their scent and Andrea's personal lack of biological milestones was the least of her problems right now.

She and Miranda were scheduled to go to a photo-shoot for , a new up and coming designer, that had captured the attention of both Vogue and Runway. They were doing a spread for the September issue but there was an unending list of things Andrea had to finish before they left. Andrea leaned back in her chair and rolled her tense shoulders.

Emily had moved on to work under Nigel and the new girl-Kristen-was practically useless, so Andrea was in charge of first and second assistant tasks.

Andrea scowled at the blonde sitting across from her. The girl was picking at her nails with a bored expression on her face. Meanwhile, Andy was chin high in files that needed filing, calls that needed to be made, and plans to be confirmed. But Kristen? Kristen was sitting on her ass doing nothing but looking as pretty as any super model wannabe.

Nearly six weeks ago, when Emily had been promoted, Andrea had pitched for Joey, a hardworking, fashion educated woman. But Miranda had seemingly taken one look at the woman's name and chosen Kristen out of spite.

Now, now, they were all suffering, but Andrea most of all. Andrea who still had to wait for the book and run errands in 100-degree weather, who couldn't even trust Kristen to man the phones so she had them rolling to her cell.

"Miranda Priestley's office, please hold...Miranda Priestley's office, please hold...yes, how can I help you? Yes, alright. No, that will not work for Miranda. She is available the Tuesday after next. Yes, three pm. Please hold. Miranda Priestley's office, please hold..."

Andrea typed into her computer as she kept the phone pressed to her shoulder and cheek. Her eyes, continued boring into the woman across from her sitting pristine and unruffled.

Kristen thought this job was a cake walk! Andrea had heard her talking to a friend four days ago, at the start of this abnormal heat wave, about how much of a breeze this job was! Andy had gawked and been about to strangle the woman, sure she could be forgiven for the murder if she just had time to explain WHY she had done it, but Emily-neurotic and high strung Emily who was finally eating more than just cheese cubes-had grabbed her about the waist and held her back.

It was only the text from Roy about Miranda's arrival that had saved them all from Andrea's sudden murderous intentions.

"Andrea, the proofs for..." Emily stopped walking mid stride and stared at Kristen, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. Was she...painting her nails?

Emily spun to see Andrea's flaring nostrils and clenched fist as she answered the ringing phones and typed responses to emails and had a budget spreadsheet open for the Hawaii shoot in November, and acted quickly.

"Kristen..." Emily hissed through clenched teeth. "...coffee run." Kristen shot to attention but faltered when she saw who was issuing the order. Emily raised a single sculpted eyebrow in challenge. "Now."

Kristen grabbed her bag and was out the door without a look towards Andrea's desk.

The second the woman was out of earshot Andrea cracked. "I can't...stand...her." Andrea radiated with tension, her finger nails still biting into her palms even as she tried to calm down and un-ply them.

"Yes...well..." Emily tutted and sniffed in derision as she put the proofs on Andrea's desk, on top of a growing pile of documents.

Files that Andrea just couldn't get a handle on. Not with how little time she had to actually do her own work.

"...shame with that new rule from Irv forbidding the firing of an employee without 'just cause' for at least six weeks."

"Only five days left." Andrea rejoiced aloud eyes a little bleary with happy tears.

Emily walked over to the empty desk, her former desk, and dialed Serena. "Serena, get that girl from Beauty with the pleasant phone manner and the snaggle toothed IT girl and bring them to Miranda's office. Yes. Yes."

"What are you doing?" Andrea questioned, before being pulled back to the phones.

Andrea was so busy taking notes and making changes to the calendar she hadn't even noticed Serena, Debra from Beauty, and Ashlynn from IT.

What she did notice was the sudden unblinking light on her phone as Debra picked up from the other desk and Emily hit hold on Andy's phone.

"Come. You have ten minutes before that wannabe comes hobbling in and eleven before Miranda gets back. Come, come." Emily ushered Andy out of her seat and pulled her away from her desk, heading towards her small office on the other side of the floor.

Emily left Serena to run herd on the two other women, all three needing to take a phone to keep up with the influx of calls.

A lot of the calls were from reporters looking to get a quote about the divorce-which had officially been finalized after six long months.

It had been a hard time for everyone at the office as Stephen seemed to be making it his life's work to drag out the process and get as much from Miranda as he could. He'd even filed for visitation rights with the girls-just to piss Miranda off.

Andrea knew firsthand how the girls felt about Stephen. She had often times run into them when she was dropping off the book. Truthfully, they were usually there waiting for her. They asked her questions about random things, talked to her about their day, and sometimes asked for help with homework.

Andrea, at first, had been cautious of them, especially after they had almost gotten her fired. That, and she wasn't sure how Miranda would feel about her talking to them. At first it was their little secret. They had opened up to her and apologized for her almost getting fired-they had just wanted Stephen to stop yelling at their mom. Andrea being there had helped-for a few minutes-but then the yelling had started and gotten louder and worse.

The night after Stephen petitioned for visitation rights was also the night that Cassidy had cried in Andrea's arms because she was afraid she and Caroline would have to spend time with Stephen by themselves. They didn't like him, and were pretty much afraid of him. Andrea had been comforting Cassidy when they heard tell-tail footsteps at the top of the stairs, where Miranda was looking at them in surprise and then worry when she realized Cassidy was in tears.

Andrea had never seen Miranda go from concerned to angry as fast as she had that night. Her eyes promised death if Andrea was responsible for her daughter's tears and Andrea would just have to accept her death calmly and without protest.

Caroline had been the one to save Andrea that night. Explaining with tears in her own eyes that Cassidy, and by Cassidy she meant both of them, were worried that they'd have to spend time with Stephen. Caroline of course called him a few words that would normally get her in trouble, but that night only got her held tighter by her mother. Cassidy had also gotten in on the bear hug, explaining that "Andy" was making them feel better. Miranda had looked into Andrea's eyes and whispered "thank you" and Andrea made her escape to leave the Priestly women to their privacy.

The next night Miranda had called her into the study and asked point blank how long she and the twins had been conversing at night. Andrea was honest and told her the truth, but instead of being eviscerated, as Andy had thought she would be, Miranda had hummed, nodded and then dismissed Andrea.

Since then Andrea spoke to the girls, and even sometimes stayed to help them with their homework in the kitchen and hear about their days with Miranda's blessing. Sometimes Miranda would pop in while the three of them were crowded around the kitchen table working on math problems or when they had been debating whether or not John Brown was a terrorist or a martyr and gotten involved in the debate. It had been one of the best nights Andrea had in the last six months.

Today, after all the trouble Stephen had caused previously, he'd accused Miranda of keeping him from the kids he'd come to love as his own on camera. He'd done it after Miranda won the case and he'd gotten nothing. He got less than nothing in fact as Miranda was able to claim some of HIS prized possessions when she revealed his philandering ways.

Andrea had been on the phone with Leslie, Miranda's PR rep, for almost two hours last night. The rebuttal of his comments went out today and the phones were ringing off the hook. Andy had called HR for temps to come and take over, but they wouldn't arrive for another hour. Which meant Andy had been fielding all the calls by herself as Kristen sat on her ass and looked 'pretty'.

"Sit. Take a breath. Then drink this." Emily instructed with a no-nonsense tone. Since her promotion they had gotten along much better. There wasn't a form of competition between them anymore, which allowed for a friendship to grow. Emily could now commiserate and feel somewhat empathetic with Andrea's situation, as although Emily had a rough time as Miranda's assistant, she had at least had a competent second assistant in Andrea to help handle the burdens.

Andrea sat on Emily's white couch. This couch had seen many late nights and smelled of the redheaded beta. But Andrea detected her own scent on the couch as she would often come here to wait for the Book and talk with Emily if the woman was still around. Andrea and Nigel fondly referred to the comfortable couch as Emily's counseling couch as many a Runway staff found themselves sitting on it when problems arose.

Now, the comfortable couch welcomes Andrea like an old friend as she drank the offered water and took several deep breaths. "It's not fair. Irv is just trying to make things more difficult." Andrea understood the policy, intellectually she did. But she also despised that she had to work with a woman who sat on her ass all day and only 'looked' busy when Miranda was present. "She should have hired Joey."

Emily huffed, shaking her head at her colleague. There was no way that Miranda was going to hire Joey. The woman could have been more qualified than Miranda herself, but the fashion editor wouldn't have given her the job because of the way Joey looked at Andrea. Miranda had become very possessive of Andrea in the year the would-be journalist had been working at Runway. It was very subtle and Emily was sure that Miranda didn't even recognize that she was doing it, but it was there. Emily, as a beta, could easily read the vibes being given off by Miranda when it came to Andrea. Truly, anyone worth their salt could. When Joey's eyes had strayed too low on Andrea's anatomy within sight of Miranda, the woman had lost her chance at the job immediately. No matter how Andrea had pitched for her, it wouldn't be enough.

"I hate when you do that. Joey was a good choice."

"That may be, but Miranda made her choice and now we all must live with it for at least another five days."

"Thank god, it's only five more days." Andrea huffed and reached for an empty folder on Emily's desk and started to fan herself.

Emily's nose twitched at the scent Andrea was giving off. "Would you stop that! It's not even that warm in here."

"Give me a break. I haven't cooled off from running errands this morning." Andrea begged off, glaring when Emily merely smirked at her discomfort.

"I assume you called for temps."

"Of course I did. I put in a request last night, but they won't be here for another hour."

"Then set up Debra and Ashlynn in the conference room and have them deal with the reporters until the temps get here. That should free you up long enough to get some of your own work done."

"That's a great idea." Andrea wondered why she hadn't thought of it herself. She'd been the one to set up such a protocol the last time reporters had started hounding the office phones for quotes.

"Yes, I know."

"Thanks Em." Andrea stood and left the office, bringing the empty folder with her to use as a fan until Miranda showed up. Emily shook her head in mild amusement before focusing back on her own work. Repeating her mantra of "I love my job" over and over again within her mind and these days, she actually meant it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Andrea rushed around the photoshoot making sure everything was in its proper place. She made sure the models were ready, the make-up team was available, and the seamstresses for any last minute alterations were keeping their hands busy.

The lighting was perfect and the room held a nice chill to it thanks to the industrial air conditioning that Andrea had made sure was on and running at least three hours before they arrived. The last thing any of them had needed was to be running around this large open concept studio with no air conditioning. The studio was normally not used, so the heat and stagnant air would have made this shoot unbearable.

As it was, at the moment, things were going well. They were halfway through the shoot and there had been no mishaps, thanks in part, to Andrea's bull whip control of the room and its inhabitants.

Miranda almost seemed pleased.

When it was over and Andrea and Miranda were on their way back to Runway in the back of Miranda's town car, Miranda even seemed relaxed. She did sniff at the air of the town car as if trying to scent something for a few moments, but soon settled into her seat.

"Do you like baseball, Andrea?"

Andrea blinked, wondering where that question had come from. "Well, yes. I used to go to games with my grandfather when I was younger."

"Hm…" Miranda went quiet after that, seemingly considering something. Andrea waited, knowing there was nothing else she could really do but wait for Miranda to say what she wanted to say. "It would seem that I have an abundance of Mets tickets. You see, I purchased season tickets for Stephen, the girls and I, and was going to give them to him on his birthday. He of course, sent me divorce papers before I could give them to him. I have been unable to bring the girls as of yet. I have far too many tickets and far too little time to attend said games."

"Oh well…that's too bad. The Mets aren't doing too badly this year. I mean, in comparison to other years that is." Andrea filled in the silence.

"Yes, so I've heard." There was a twitch to Miranda's lips that indicated she was amused with something. "There is a game this Sunday at 6pm. I understand that it is also the fireworks show." Andrea remained silent, letting Miranda continue. "The girls would like for you to attend with us."

Andrea's eyes widened, "Oh, wow. That's uhm, well, I'd love to. If, if it's okay with you of course. I wouldn't want to intrude on time you spent with the girls."

"That's very kind of you, Andrea." Leave it to Andrea to try and assure Miranda had time with her girls—just the three of them. "Your presence would be welcome, that is, if you're free of course."

"Yes, I, I'd love to!" Andrea beamed happily at Miranda.

"Good. The girls will be thrilled. We will pick you up at 4:30pm."

"I'll be ready."

Miranda nodded, and slipped her sunglasses on just as the car came to a halt outside of the Elias-Clarke building. "And Andrea, do make sure HR has a replacement ready and available for that useless blonde first thing Monday morning."

Andrea's smile, if possible, doubled. "Yes, Miranda."

-.-.-.- **Sunday, July 1** **h** **2007**.-.-.-.-

Andrea was ready and waiting outside of her apartment building at 4:20pm. She was wearing a Mets T-shirt with David Wrights name on the back and an old Mike Piazza jersey over it. To top off her baseball outfit she wore a Mets baseball cap with her ponytail pulled through the back, had her old softball mitt on her left hand, and wore true religion jeans and sneakers. She was ready for a baseball game and hoped Miranda and the girls weren't wearing designer clothes to the game.

It wasn't Miranda's town car that pulled up to the curb, but a four-door silver 2007 Lexus IS. The twins were seated in the back and rolled down their window and squealed when they saw Andrea's outfit.

"Andy!" The girls yelled as the car pulled to a stop in front of her. The girls were wearing Mets jerseys and ball caps like her.

Andrea was gob smacked to see Miranda behind the wheel of the car. Andrea was sure that the woman could drive, she had just never really taken any time to actually think about Miranda driving. If anything, Miranda looked fabulous behind the wheel.

Thankfully, Miranda wasn't wearing Mets regalia, because if she had Andrea wasn't sure her legs could have held her up. Instead, Miranda was wearing a Donna Karen royal blue blouse.

"Do take your time Andrea…" Miranda sarcastically greeted, prompting Andrea to stumble forward in her hurry to reach for the car door, as it appeared she was sitting in the front passenger seat next to Miranda.

Great, Andrea thought, already feeling a cold sweat develop along the back of her neck and on her palms.

"Seatbelt, Andrea, really."

"Oh, right, sorry." Andrea clicked her seatbelt into place and offered Miranda a nervous smile as she rested her worn softball mitt on her lap.

Miranda's eyes took in Andrea's outfit but the fashion queen said nothing as she pulled out into traffic. However, Andrea noticed the tell-tale signs of a smirk gracing the older woman's lips as she drove, but neither said a word to each other. They left most of the conversation up to the girl, who eagerly chatted away about how excited they were. Andy could practically feel their excitement as it buzzed around them all like an electric charge.

"Have you ever been to a game, Andy?"

"I've been to a few Mets games since I moved here. My grandfather was born in Brooklyn. He was a huge Brooklyn Dodgers fan until they moved to California. He became a Mets fan on principle. But he loved baseball. He really loved the Amazin' Mets."

"The who?" The twins echoed.

Andrea's eyes widened as she twisted in her seat—as much as her seatbelt allowed—and looked at the twin redheads. "You don't know about the Amazin' Mets?" She asked, aghast.

"No…" The twins echoed, suddenly on the edge of their seats. "Tell us!"

"Well you see, it all started in 1969, the eighth year of the Met's franchise. Now back then the Mets were considered one of the worst teams in the league. And their records the last eight years didn't help their cause. But the fans were obsessed and as luck would have it, the 1969 Mets won the last 38 games, helping them finish first in their division…but they were going up against the best of the best—which in 1969 was the Orioles in the World Series." Andrea began, aware that it wasn't just twin 12 year olds who were captivated by her story.

By the time they arrived at Shea stadium Andrea was just finishing her tale of the World Series win and the girls practically had stars in their eyes.

"Wow…" Cassidy whispered.

"That's so neat!" Caroline exclaimed, breaking the air of awe that had been in the car for several long moments. "Isn't that neat mom!?"

"Yes, Bobbsey it is… _neat_." Parking the car, Miranda turned off the engine and looked to the back seat. "Now you girls remember what I said about sticking close to Andrea or I, yes?"

"Yes, mom." Caroline rolled her eyes at the instruction while Cassidy seemed to be taking it very seriously.

"Alright then." Miranda gave Andrea a significant stare, warning her to remain close as well, before she exited the car with three eager Mets fans.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Andrea wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but having access to one of the private clubs and front box seats right by the Mets dugout wasn't it.

"Can we get hot dogs mom? Please?" Cassidy asked as they stood in line within the club. It seemed, as famous as Miranda was, she didn't know many—if any—of the people currently surrounding them. Then again, this wasn't the type of place Andrea would expect to see Miranda on a normal basis.

"Yes, but you may only have one soda between the two of you."

"Awesome!" Caroline and Cassidy high fived as they bounced on the balls of their feet while in line.

"What are you going to get, Andy?" Caroline asked over her shoulder.

"Well, it's tradition to get kettle corn, but that's for later. I think I'm going to go with a hot dog and a beer."

"A beer, really Andrea?"

"Hey, it's tradition!" Andrea defended with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well then, if it's tradition." Miranda intoned. Miranda stepped up to the cashier to place their groups order, surprising everyone by getting herself a hotdog and a beer as well.

Andrea's mouth dropped, but the raised eyebrow from her boss kept her from saying anything at all.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"This is so cool!" Cassidy raced down the stairs to their front row box right by the dugout, eyes wide as she looked out at the field in front of her. Caroline was only a step or two behind her leaving Andrea and Miranda to take up the rear.

"Girls, do not run, you'll slip!" Miranda warned, though it fell upon deaf ears as the girls continued to run down the remaining steps.

Andrea had learned that this was the girls' first baseball game. They'd never been to a live sports event that wasn't hosted by their school so their excitement was understandable, and maybe even a little contagious.

Andrea slid in to the right hand seat, allowing Miranda to sit in the aisle seat, the girls sure to sit in front of them when they came away from the fenced off area.

"Thank you for dinner." Andrea offered into the silence that had descended between the two of them.

"You're welcome."

"Mom, mom, do you think we'll catch a foul ball?" Caroline asked as she and Cassidy rushed to take their seats.

"I hope not." Miranda honestly stated, the idea of a foul ball heading straight for one of the girls heads causing her to shiver in worry.

"Ah, don't worry. I'll catch anything that comes close to us." Andrea assured, taking the time to put on her mitt and slam her fist into the worn leather.

"Did you play baseball, Andy?" Cassidy asked, slightly skeptical of Andrea's skills.

"No, but I played softball for three years during high school. I played as shortstop."

"That's the one between first and second, right?" Caroline asked, to which Andy smiled good naturedly.

"No, that's the one between second and third."

"Oh, right. That's what I meant." Caroline blushed at the mistake but Andy's smile kept her from getting too embarrassed at her flubbed answer.

"Mom, can we go see if they'll throw us a ball?" Cassidy asked, noting the other kids standing where they had been previously trying to get the attention of the practicing players.

"Very well. But stay together and do not go where Andrea and I cannot see you."

With the permission they were looking for the redheads were off like a shot.

"So this is the girls' first baseball game. Have you been before, Miranda?"

Miranda turned to Andrea, wondering when the woman had become brave enough to ask her questions. Then again, they weren't in the office. Far from it really. "I have not been in many years and I have never been to Shea Stadium. Should I have to choose a team to root for, it has always been the Yankees."

Andrea hissed, "No…"

Miranda's lips twitched, "I'm afraid so."

Andrea laughed, "Ah, well. No one's perfect."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Well, you know. Just that, if you had been a Mets fan then you'd be perfect. But now that I know you're a Yankee's fan, you're flawed."

"Andrea…" Miranda warned.

"It's not a bad thing, Miranda! And it's only my personal opinion. Besides, it makes you more human."

"And I suppose me being more human is a good thing rather than more dragon-like?"

"Well, yes." Andy wasn't sure where this bravery was coming from. Maybe it was the fact that she'd already finished a large 36oz beer and was halfway through her second. "Not that I think you're dragon like. You're too much of a softy when it comes to the girls to be a dragon. I mean…uhh…" Andrea cleared her throat and made a grand effort to pay attention to the girls who were waving their hands up in the air to get the attention of the players.

Miranda took mercy on her and refrained from commenting on her slightly tipsy confession.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It turned out that Andrea's softball skills came in handy when she lunged forward and caught a foul ball that would have otherwise hit Cassidy in the jaw. She caught the ball and the people around her—including the girls—went wild. They even ended up on the big screen where Andrea gave the ball to the girls to hold up and jump about in their excitement. Miranda, remained seated, her heart racing in her chest at the averted catastrophe of her daughter needing plastic surgery from being hit by a foul ball. When the fever died down Miranda smiled as the girls shoved the would-be-catastrophe-baseball in her face. Then came the fight between who would get to keep it.

"You will share it." Miranda instructed, stopping the squabbling before it truly began. When the girls' attention went back to the game, Miranda turned to Andrea and dared to place her hand on the young woman's knee. "Thank you…" She whispered the fright she'd felt at her own inability to stop the imagined horrifying damage to her daughter's face, making her shiver in fear.

Andrea patted Miranda's hand and then rested her hand atop the fashion queen's when she realized it wasn't going anywhere. "Of course, Miranda. Anytime."

Andrea must have smelt the fear rolling off of Miranda in waves, because the girl didn't comment on the fact that they were essentially holding hands. Miranda needed the comfort, and for some odd reason touching Andrea helped calm her. Andrea, in the meantime, wasn't going to comment on it if Miranda wasn't. They both just continued to watch the game with their hands touching. Even when Andrea jumped up with the crowd to watch pop fly's head into the outfield—in hopes that they were homeruns—once she sat down Miranda's hand returned to her knee, and Andrea's hand returned to rest atop Miranda's.

And so the game went on. The Mets won by three runs when Jose Reyes hit a homerun with two men on in the bottom of the 11th.

The girls were still hyped up on energy, popcorn, and even cotton candy—for which Miranda had balked at but only insisted that the girls brush their teeth twice before going to bed when it was clear she was outvoted. Andrea, the surprisingly impish woman that she was, even got Miranda to try some of the sugary confection. Of course, it was worth watching Andrea's eyes widen and the vein in the younger woman's neck bulge when Miranda did not take the sugary snack from Andrea's hands with her own, but leaned forward and closed her mouth around the treat, and Andrea's fingers. Andrea had gulped and turned a bright shade of red, and Miranda just smirked and leaned back into her seat as if nothing had happened.

If Andrea was incredibly still, and suddenly very hot, for the rest of the game, it was just the damn heatwave, right?

"Oh man Andy, it was so cool when you caught that ball. I thought for sure it was going to hit me, but then you were there and you caught it and then everyone was cheering."

"Everyone wanted to be us." Caroline proclaimed, tossing the ball—which they'd gotten signed—up into the air and catching it with her chest awkwardly.

"Hmm…they did indeed." Miranda met Andrea's eyes and the brunette grinned and shook her head at the miniature version of her boss and choose to say nothing.

"David is going to be so jealous!" Cassidy proclaimed as she and Caroline skipped just in front of Miranda and Andrea in the parking lot.

"David?" Andrea asked.

"Yeah, our step-brother. He's like 16 and thinks we're a vernal plague or something. I don't know."

"Viral plague…" Miranda corrected. Andrea bit the inside of her lip to keep quiet. It seemed there was a lot of information, saying, and vocabulary that the girls picked up on from their mother that further made them miniature versions of her. "And I thought David was being nicer to the two of you?"

"He is, Dad and Katherine make sure he is. But he's still gross and says stuff when they're not around." Cassidy admitted.

"Dad thinks it's because he's "showing"." Caroline air quoted.

Miranda's eyes widened as she cut her eyes to her youngest. "Caroline, you know better than to speak of such things!"

"Sorry, mom. But isn't that what happens? With alphas? They start showing and preening as they're going through _the phase_?"

Miranda frowned, but touched Caroline's shoulder in comfort as the young girl asked her a question Miranda had always made clear they could ask her about—in private. "We are not to talk about such things, especially about someone else. You know that it is rude to do so. If you'd like to discuss it more we can do so _, in private_." Miranda stressed her eyes flittering to Andrea so Caroline would realize they were talking about family member's biological definition in front of someone outside of the family.

"Alright…" Caroline whined, head facing down.

Miranda's eyes hardened the more she thought about her daughter's step-brother and the phase he might be going through, "I will speak with your father about this."

"No, don't mom. If you do, then this whole week we're at dads is going to suck."

"Language, Caroline."

"Sorry, but it will!" Caroline protested.

Miranda seemed torn. She wanted to destroy the little cretin that was making it difficult for her daughters to enjoy their time with their father, but she did not want to make things harder for the girls by getting further involved in something they wanted to handle themselves. They were at that age where they realized 'mommy' couldn't make everything better, sometimes she could make it worse by getting involved. Especially when it came to their step-brother.

"We will talk more about this before you leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Fine…" Both girls chorused and their good moods seemed to have turned sour as their heads drooped.

"Alright you two knuckleheads…buckle up." Andrea instructed as they all settled into the car. Andrea did her best to get the girls to focus on the fun they had to break through the tension in the air between the three Priestly women. It took a few minutes, but by the time Miranda had navigated them out of the parking lot the girls were back to their cheery selves.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

When Miranda pulled in front of Andrea's apartment building the girls were fast asleep in the back seat their heads resting against each other's as they each puffed out gentle snores. It was the cutest thing Andrea had ever seen and made her heart stutter in her chest with how much she'd come to care for the two pre-teens.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you bring them up? I don't mind taking a cab home." Andrea offered for the second time, looking between Miranda, the sleeping redheads, and her own apartment building.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm quite capable." Miranda assured, not even minding that she had to repeat herself.

"Right, of course you are, I just…" Miranda smiled at Andrea and the brunette swallowed thickly as a sudden wave of heat swam around her. "…right then. I had a great time, Miranda. Thank, thank you for inviting me."

"We did as well. And thank you for spending time with us on your day off. It was, it was very nice." Miranda held Andrea's gaze, wondering what the young woman saw when she looked into her eyes.

Andrea shook her head to clear it of the silly notion that maybe Miranda didn't want this evening to end either. "See you tomorrow." Andrea quickly scurried from the car, turning to wave awkwardly at Miranda when she made it to the door of her apartment building. Once she opened the door, Miranda pulled away and disappeared down the road.

Once out of sight, Andrea's shoulders sagged as she made her way up to her apartment. Once inside she went to the rickety air conditioner and turned it on as high as it would go. She stripped down, put on the fan by her bed, put on her boxers, and flopped into bed.

What had happened between her and Miranda tonight? They had certainly crossed a line, but what kind of line had they crossed? Andrea had thought they were becoming friends or at least friendly to each other thanks to the girls. But tonight, there had been a particular fission between them. Andrea looked down at her hand and stared at it, the same hand that had touched Miranda for nearly two hours.

Friends could hold hands.

They could!

Andrea held hands with a lot of her friends. She'd also eaten food out of her friend's hands too. Granted, she'd only done that in an effort to be playfully sexy. And Miranda didn't need to be playfully sexy, she was just sexy all the time.

Andrea shivered at the memory of Miranda's lips closing around the tips of her fingers as the older woman sucked the cotton candy right off. "Ugh…" No, Miranda didn't need to try to be playfully sexy.

But that still begged the question of what happened tonight, what lines had they really crossed, and what would happen tomorrow because of it?

 **End Part 1**

* * *

 **For the Bingo Challenge:**

This chapter included the following prompts from Card 5:  
1) Heat  
2) Sports  
3) Photo-shoot  
4) Boxers  
5) Couch  
6) cheese cubes  
7) Everyone Wants to be us  
8) The book  
9) Injury  
10) Viral Plague


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you for the lovely feedback. I hope that you'll all continue to enjoy the story as it progresses. This chapter has not been beta read so all mistakes are mine. I do not own any of the characters.**

* * *

 **Part 2**

-.-.-.-.-.- **Monday, July 2** **nd** **, 2007** -.-.-.-.-.-

When Andrea made her way to work the next morning she was surprised to see so many reporters outside. The security team was already putting up barricades and working with police to keep the hordes at bay.

Andrea sighed, wondering who the reporters were after today. Hopefully it had nothing to do with Miranda. After all, Stephen's quotes were old news. The rebuttal that Leslie had printed on Saturday had been direct and severely damaging to Stephen's image and surly his ego. They couldn't possibly be hanging around for Miranda again, could they?

"There she is!"

Andrea looked around and over both her shoulders, wondering who they were pointing at. But there wasn't anyone behind her, and before she knew what was happening the reporters were coming towards her and there were flashes of light.

"How long have you been sleeping with your boss?"

"What's the Ice Queen like in bed?"

"Were you having an affair with Ms. Priestly while she was still married?"

"Did your boyfriend find out about your affair and leave?"

Andrea's mouth fell open as she was bombarded with questions and more flashes continued to blind her.

"Get back, back behind the barricade." George, the head of security, ordered as his team created a human fence between Andrea and the reporters.

Andrea saw the suddenly open path to the front doors and rushed into the building, where more security guards kept the reporters outside.

Andrea was positively quaking as she stumbled to the elevators, noticing how everyone in the lobby stopped and stared at her, some even having the gall to point and whisper about her. Andrea wanted to hide in shame, but she had nothing to be ashamed of. She had done nothing wrong. She wasn't doing any of the things those reporters had accused her of. Did she want to sleep with her boss? Yes. Was she? No.

Andrea walked to the elevators with her head held high and hands tightly held against her side so no one could see how much her hands were shaking.

When Andrea made it to the Runway floor, those that got in ahead of her stopped and stared, the office suddenly going quiet now that she had arrived. She knew, without a doubt, that everyone had been talking about her just seconds before.

"Get back to work, you lazy wankers." Emily ordered as she sidled up next to Andrea on one side while Nigel came up on the other and the two led Andrea straight towards Emily's office—which was the only office between the three of them that wasn't made with glass walls.

Once inside, Nigel closed the door while Emily brought Andrea to sit down on the white couch.

"I think she's in shock." Emily stated as she noted how Andrea was just staring off straight ahead not saying anything.

"I'm not in shock." Andrea answered, blinking out of her momentary stupor. "I'm shocked, but I'm not in shock." She clarified. "What is going on? Why do they think that I'm…with…doing…why were they asking me those questions?"

"You haven't seen it?" Nigel asked, sharing a concerned look over Andrea's shoulder with Emily.

"Seen what!?" Andrea was doing her best not to become hysterical, but her colleagues weren't making it easy.

Nigel just nodded towards Emily's desk, and the brit sighed as she collected something off the top of her desk and handed it to Andrea.

It was a newspaper. The Post to be exact.

"Oh god…" Andrea looked down at the front page of The Post with wide, horrified eyes. There on the cover was a picture of Andrea and Miranda, a close up on Miranda's hand on Andrea's knee and Andrea's hand on top of hers from the game last night.

The headline was even worse: Lesbi-honest, Dragon Lady's Midlife Crisis.

"Tell me they didn't mention the girls." Andrea pleaded, eyes boring into Nigel and Emily for an answer before she dared turn the page to read the article.

By the cringe on Nigel's face, Andrea had her answer.

"She's going to _destroy_ them." Andrea whispered to herself, shaking her head.

Nigel and Emily worried that the 'them' would also include their kind-hearted friend.

Just as Andrea was opening the paper to read what the article said, her phone started ringing. She flinched at the name that crossed it.

"Hi, Leslie…" Andrea pulled the sidekick away from her ear as Leslie's screeching pierced through the air.

With a sigh, Andrea let Leslie rant like a lunatic about optics and proper warnings and half a dozen other things that Andrea couldn't care less about. She was more concerned with how Miranda was going to react, and how the girls were going to take the article. The last thing Andrea wanted was to make anything harder for Miranda or the girls. Caroline and Cassidy were just moving past the trauma of the press invading their lives because of the divorce. Andrea never wanted to be the cause of putting them back in the spotlight.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Darling, you'll never believe who's on the front page again." Antonia said with a lace of humor in her voice as she turned to show her husband, Irv Ravitz, the front page of The Post.

"Oh, yes I would."

After all, a friend had called the night before to give him the scoop. It was just 'terrible' for Miranda to have been caught out with her daughters and her second assistant. The photos of them holding hands and portraying a lovely couple with Miranda's little monsters only two days after Miranda's divorce was finalized, were scandalous. His friend had been willing to squash the story for him, if he'd wanted. But why on earth would he want that? Let the world know about Miranda Priestley's secret affair with her much younger subordinate. It would make his life so much easier when he wanted to dethrone the woman.

His attempt to use Stephen to hurt the woman had backfired on him in a spectacular fashion. How was he to know that Stephen had been laundering money for almost a decade from his company? He knew about the mistresses, but he hadn't any idea about the prostitutes. Stephen was a missed opportunity. But this, this he hadn't even planned, and it was golden.

There was no way Miranda was going to get herself out of this one. Not unscathed at least.

"This vampire bat, this inhuman beast. She ought to be locked up and never released the world was such a wholesome place until. Cruella, Cruella De Vil." Irv hummed as he looked over the paper with a smile.

Antonia rolled her eyes at her husband and left him to his moment.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Miranda breezed into the office past the waiting horde of press and photographers, not paying them any mind. They shouted questions at her but she barely heard a word of them, too absorbed was she with going over the list of priorities to handle today.

When Miranda arrived on the Runway floor it was not to the sight of Andrea's smiling face or good morning that greeted her. It was to Emily's stress lined face and hurried, "Let me take that." As the redhead took The Book from Miranda and moved out of her way to follow after her—if only Miranda could make her legs walk.

"This is no longer your job." Miranda raised a brow at the redhead's continued presence in front of her. "Where is Andrea?" There was momentary panic in her eyes, hidden as they were behind her sunglasses, as she wondered if she had gone too far last night. Had Andrea finally left her—like all the others?

"Andrea is pre-interviewing candidates for the second assistant position."

"Hmm…" Miranda relaxed, if only slightly, at the news.

Emily was just glad that Miranda bought that explanation. It had been decided that Andrea would not be present for Miranda's arrival and subsequent revelation of this morning's headlines, just in case. It didn't hurt that Andrea was actually seeing candidates to fill the newly vacant 2nd assistant position.

Miranda rattled off the list of objectives for the day, noting that it was rather quiet on the floor. Miranda peered around and those that had been staring suddenly found something better to be doing.

Odd.

"That's all." Miranda stated, only looking up from where she was signing into her laptop when Emily did not leave.

"Was there something else?"

Emily worried her bottom lip, wondering how she had drawn the short straw today.

"I hate to bring it to your attention but, Andrea and I have had to take steps to ensure that security at Dalton was made aware that there should be extra protection for Caroline and Cassidy today and if there are any issues to call either of us."

"You and Andrea did _**what**_ …" Miranda's eyes bore into Emily and the air in the room seemed to freeze.

"Andrea has also been in touch with Leslie. Your calendar has been rearranged accordingly as you have a phone call with Leslie and her team in half an hour after which you have a meeting with Alan Graham."

Miranda leaned back in her chair, watching as Emily grew nervous under her continued glare. "Why is there security at my daughters' school and why has my calendar been rearranged without my approval?"

Nigel came to stand beside the desk, a copy of The Post in his hands.

"Did you have something to do with this mutiny as well?"

"It's far from mutiny." Nigel breathed, "Don't blame Emily. Or Andrea for that matter. They're just handling the latest publicity crisis to hit the stands." Nigel stepped forward and placed the newspaper down in front of Miranda and waved at it with a flourish before taking three large steps back.

Nigel and Emily watched as Miranda's face became a kaleidoscope of color. First it went white, then grey, then green, and then settled for red as she flipped to the article and noted how the journalist, if this individual could be called that, had dared to include her children in the story. There were even pictures of Andrea and the girls at the concession stands getting the cotton candy that Miranda distinctly remembered licking off of Andrea's fingers.

When Miranda finally looked up from the paper Emily quickly rambled the facts that she was aware of. She even handed Miranda a slip of paper that held the personal information for the author of the article and the editor of The Post.

"You handled the security at Dalton?"

Emily nodded, "Andrea called as soon as she got off the phone with Leslie." Emily confirmed.

"And there is a meeting with Leslie and her team in half an hour?"

"Yes, Leslie herself is coming here and will conference in her team. Your call with your lawyer is directly after that to go over your contract."

"Has Irv or any board member reached out yet?"

"Sarah reached out this morning, as did George and Joshua." Emily handed Miranda another sheet of paper with the times that the board members had called and their numbers to call back.

"Very well. I will call them immediately. Send Andrea in after she has finished the interview. Remind the staff that their Non-disclosure agreements cover this as well. If I find one quote from "Runway office" anywhere, there…"

"There won't be." Nigel promised, already stepping out of the room to make sure that the staff was reminded of the NDA's and where their loyalty should lie. It didn't hurt that most of the office adored Andrea because she made their lives easier. Nigel wasn't surprised to find that many of the staff thought Miranda and Andrea made a striking pair, and had long since suspected there was something going on between them. This article just confirmed what most of them had already known about the two. That still didn't make it any more shocking to see it splashed across the news and have it thrown in their face by the reporters outside.

"Get HR to hire some of those temps to field the calls that are sure to be…"

"Andrea already took care of it. There are three temps fielding calls in conference room 3. We've used them before and have all been vetted. They have a script and blanket no comment answers." Emily rattled off, giving credit where it was do. Whereas she would have taken credit for fixing problems before they existed when she was still Miranda's assistant—even if Andrea had been the one to do it—she no longer felt the need to steal some of Andrea's glory.

Miranda nodded, and Emily took her leave. There was still a lot to be done and more was sure to come before the day was through. Add on to the fact that this week was already short due to the Fourth of July holiday two days away, and the Runway offices were on red alert.

As Emily settled in at her hold desk she heard Miranda start one of many conversations with the board members who favored her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Andrea sighed heavily as she sat quietly and off to the side in the conference room with Leslie and Miranda. The two women were powerhouses and when they went at it, it was best to duck and cover.

Andrea couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for the argument. Leslie hadn't wanted Andrea involved in the meeting, but Miranda had insisted that she remain, even as the older woman would barely look at Andrea.

It became clear why Leslie hadn't wanted Andrea in the room when the ideas for how to handle this situation were pitched and throwing Andrea under the preverbal bus was one of the first things mentioned.

"Fire the girl, no offense Andrea. But Miranda needs to distance herself as far and as fast as she can from you."

Andrea had cringed, but said nothing. It had been Miranda that insisted they find another solution. "Andrea and I have done nothing wrong. We are not sleeping together."

"Yet." Leslie tacked on.

Miranda ground her teeth together as she glared at Leslie for having the audacity to say that out loud. Miranda wanted to deny it, she did, but she knew there was some truth to the statement. Although she and Andrea were not sleeping together, now, it was something Miranda did not want to completely dismiss as a possibility. Any alpha worth their salt could smell the attraction Andrea held towards Miranda and Leslie was the only other alpha that had the guts to challenge Miranda.

Miranda chose not to dignify Leslie's comment with a direct answer. "The point of the matter is that we are not in a romantic relationship. Andrea is my subordinate. It would be inappropriate."

"Then why is she attending baseball games with you and the girls?"

"Andrea and the girls have bonded since the divorce. The girls have taken a liking to her." As have I, went unsaid. "They wished for her to accompany us."

"Is it so impossible to think that Miranda and I are just friends?"

Leslie and Miranda turned to Andrea's meek voice. Leslie, a tall well-muscled raven haired super alpha, pierced Andrea with a withering glare.

"Friends…we can work with friends." Thomas, one of Leslie's lackeys pipped up from the conference line.

"Miranda. Doesn't. Have. Friends." Leslie ground out.

"I happen to be in charge of Miranda's calendar. And I know she goes to lunch with several people, not merely for business. She has friends. The media just thinks she doesn't." Andrea defended, her eyes burning with a stiff back-bone when it came to protecting and defending Miranda. Her Omega nature allowed her to have a dual prescience. She could seem as meek as a lower beta or as strong as an alpha. Here, in this moment she channeled the Alpha strength inside of herself in order to come to Miranda's defense.

"Are you... _ **friends**_...with Miranda, Andrea? Or are you merely a woman willing to ride the current media storm to success?"

"I would never!" Andrea proclaimed. "I have no interest in fame."

"But you do want to be a journalist. Now your name, for fifteen minutes, will be a household name. You could use that to your advantage to get a posting anywhere you want." Leslie challenged, dangling the golden carrot in front of Andrea with a sneer.

"I like my current job. My future aspirations shouldn't have anything to do with this. I'm not about to use Miranda-or Caroline and Cassidy-for that matter to do anything. So, I held Miranda's hand. So what?"

"So, you've been captured touching what the press likes to consider-the untouchable. The average reader is going to want to know why you're so special. It's no wonder the press went for lovers."

"But we're not."

"Your boyfriend left you because of Miranda and your job here. You were happy with him until you started working for Miranda. Then all of a sudden he's leaving for Boston and you're pictured happily oblivious with Miranda only three days after her divorce is finalized."

"Leslie..." Miranda warned.

"We haven't done anything wrong! Nate left for a job in Boston and because he couldn't handle being with a woman that didn't cater to his every whim and put in long hours at the office to make something of herself!" Andrea insisted. "Miranda and I are not now, nor have we ever been, lovers! For gods sake, Miranda isn't even a lesbian!" Both Leslie and Miranda caught on to the fact that Andrea was focused on Miranda's sexuality—not her own.

"Sure looks like you're lovers..." Leslie threw the pictures of Miranda and Andrea at the game, where Andrea had leaned into Miranda's personal space to tell the woman what had just happened in the game. Half of Andrea's face was hidden behind Miranda who was captured smiling, and then in the next photo seen with her head thrown forward in laughter Andrea staring adoringly at the other woman.

Andrea sighed and her shoulders sagged. "We were just having a nice time. I would be…no matter what it looks like, Miranda and I aren't sleeping together. We've developed an—odd and strange—friendship thanks to my mentorship of the girls."

Leslie nodded, humming as she looked at Miranda with a satisfied smirk. "She'll do."

Andrea looked up, confused. "Huh?"

"You survived my questions. Stuck to the facts. You'll do nicely. We need to get on this as soon as possible. We have a few journalists that can do the interview with Andrea. Draw focus away from Miranda and the girls. Put it on Andrea and have her set the record straight."

"Wait…you _want_ me to talk to the press."

"Pre approved members of the press, yes. We're going to make you the new face of Miranda's humanity. Shovel the friends line down their throats, stress the fact that you're both _currently_ straight, and your midwestern charm will win them over. Within a week, two tops, you'll be old news and we can move on."

Leslie looked at Miranda for her approval, and received the slightest bow of her head. "So long as Andrea approves."

Leslie then turned her eyes on Andrea and waited, allowing the brunette to catch up with the conversation and the plan she'd just outlined.

"This will protect Miranda and the girls?"

"Yes. And we'll have someone work with you, Thomas maybe, get you ready to do sound bites with interviewers."

Andrea swallowed, suddenly realizing how wide spread this was going to go. This could be disastrous for her if anyone were to find out about her Omega status. But if it would help Miranda and the girls, then was there even a question of if she'd do it?

Andrea looked at Miranda and held the older woman's blue eyes. "Okay. Alright."

Miranda smiled softly at the brunette, "Thank you, Andrea. You will be in good hands with Leslie and her team." Miranda stood from her seat, "You'll start with Leslie now. Make a working schedule for your meetings and interviews. Now, if you'll excuse me I have another meeting. Leslie…Andrea." Miranda acknowledged both women before leaving the room as regally as any reigning Queen.

"Alright now, kid. Let's get started."

Andrea gulped but moved to sit closer to the conference table so she and Leslie could speak with her team more comfortably.

-.-.-.-.- **Tuesday, July 3rd 2007** -.-.-.-.-

The executive suite of the Elias-Clarke building held a variety of different people within its walls. There were caterers, waiters, executives, wives, husbands, and assistants. The gathering was smaller than previous years, most opting to leave the office at a reasonable hour and try and beat the holiday traffic out of the city for the long weekend.

The air conditioner was doing its best to cool off the room, but with as many people as there were crowding the room, it was doing a rather lousy job. Even Miranda, who prided herself on being impervious to such things as heat, was discretely fanning herself when able. For the seventh day in a row it was nearly 100 degrees outside and the industrial air conditioner was being taxed in its effort to keep the floor cool.

"Here you are, Miranda." Andrea offered a sweating glass of ice water to her boss. Andrea's own forehead a little damp with perspiration.

"Thank you, Andrea." Miranda took the offered glass and sipped from it immediately, the cool water rushing over her tongue helping stem off the insufferable heat. "You would think with all the money we spend a year on maintenance the air conditioner would work properly."

Andrea smirked, not even attempting to hide her amusement at her boss' discomfort. Miranda rolled her eyes but smirked into the rim of her glass.

"If it isn't the two love birds."

Miranda and Andrea both stiffened at the obtrusive voice, but only Andrea turned towards the approaching man, while Miranda remained with her back to him, eyes overlooking the cityscape outside the floor to ceiling windows.

"Mr. Ravitz."

"Must be wonderful for you, young lady, having your name all over the news."

"Actually, it's quite disruptive to be lied about in such a public forum."

"Hmm…lies are they? I'm sure you've heard the saying a picture says a thousand words."

"But very rarely do those pictures encompass the entire situation. After all, they're only snap shots of a moment in time and depending on how they are taken can tell a true or false story." Andrea insisted, eyes locked with Irv's.

Andrea felt a shiver course through her at the way the man tried to put himself in her personal space and have her acknowledge him as the alpha he was. But Andrea had a lot of practice standing up to an alpha far superior than him, and so the tingle that ran down her spine only lasted a few uncomfortable moments and she held her ground. She did not downturn her eyes or bow her head in submission. She kept her eyes locked with his, unwavering, even as he sneered at her strength.

Irv laughed then, covering up the fact that he was unable to make the young woman cower or submit. "So, you're not having a—not so secret—affair with your boss?"

"No."

"Andrea," Miranda's voice broke through above Andrea's answer, "get me another glass."

"Yes, Miranda." Andrea took the empty glass from her boss and went to get her a refill, aware that Miranda wanted time alone with Irv.

"She is a magnificent creature, I can see why you'd set your sights on her." Irv's eyes roved over Andrea's backside, admiring her as she walked away, the heel of her thigh high Chanel boots clicking upon the floor as she left. Irv wasn't certain what other designers the girl was wearing, but admired the hug of the mini-skirt.

"Don't be crass, Irving." Miranda warned.

"I'm merely admiring your choice in midlife crisis."

Miranda grit her teeth as she finally turned to look at the man who stood directly beside her now, both their backs to the rest of the party.

"Andrea and I are not having an affair."

"Are you sure, you're not? You should be very sure about this, Miranda. I'd hate for this to come back and hurt your chances of a renewal for your contract."

Miranda scoffed, like hell he would. They both knew this sort of 'affair' was means for immediate removal, especially since she had been 'caught' red handed. Miranda's only saving grace was that she wasn't currently having a not-so-secret affair with her first assistant. On the contrary, they were just…friends. There was nothing in the employee handbook or guidelines in her contract that said she could not associate in a friendly manner with her staff outside of the office. She had gone over it with a fine-tooth comb with her lawyer the first time Irv tried to fire her, and then again just yesterday.

This fiasco was a reality check for Miranda. She had recently been harboring an unspoken desire to create a more significant relationship with Andrea. The young woman was intelligent, kind, dedicated, hardworking, diligent, warm, and apparently good with children. But not just any children, Miranda's children. Miranda knew that her children could be pranksters and brats. They were really little monsters, but they were her little monsters and they meant the world to her. And it was becoming much clearer that Andrea meant a great deal to them—and as such—meant more to Miranda. With Andrea's connection to the girls growing and who she was as a person it seemed almost impossible for Miranda not to…fall…for Andrea.

"I assure you, if I were having an affair with Andrea, we would not be caught at a Mets game with my children." No, they would not be caught at all. Miranda had more tact then that. If they were to grow their relationship, then they would not be outed by The Post, or any news outlet. They would release a statement when they were ready for the world to know, and not a moment sooner.

Their current situation was unfortunate, but also insightful to how the press could spin the tale of their relationship, and it wasn't pretty.

"Right, wouldn't want The Post to steal your coming out story right from under you." Irv grinned as he noticed how stiff Miranda became at that. "Tell me, Miranda, how long have you been attracted to women, half your age at that?"

"Be careful, Irv. You're treading very close to the line of sexual harassment. As someone whose just recently read and re-read our code of conduct, asking an employee's sexual orientation is against policy."

Irv scoffed, but did not press for an answer.

"Miranda…" The woman turned at the sound of Andrea's voice. She eyed the offered glass of ice water carefully before meeting the chocolate eyes staring at her with an unasked question.

"Come, Andrea. It is time that we left."

"Uh, oh. Okay." Andrea looked around the room, noting the fact that they hadn't even served dinner yet. But she quickly followed after Miranda, who was already stalking across the floor towards the elevators.

Andrea handed Irv the glass of ice water and trailed after Miranda as she pulled out her cellphone and called Roy, warning him to be outside in five minutes as they were on their way down.

Emily and Nigel, who had been watching the interaction between Miranda and Irv carefully from across the room, watched Andrea trail after Miranda and halt by the doors, ready to wait for another lift, when Miranda rolled her eyes and nodded her head for Andrea to join her. The fashionista glared at the others who went to get into the lift. Those foolish souls that made the mistake quickly vacated quickly.

The doors closed on the two women shutting them away from the peering crowd.

Then, not a minute later the room, building, and New York City as a whole, went dark in a rolling cascade of flickering lights and sudden pops as electricity stopped running.

The sun which was just setting over the horizon giving off its last few minutes of ember light as the heat wave and people's need for air conditioners short circuited the power relays at the power plant, throwing the 15 million people of NYC into a large scale black out and trapping Miranda Priestly and Andrea Sachs in an elevator somewhere between the 38th and 20th floors of Elias-Clarke.

 **End Part Two**

* * *

 **Bingo Card Prompts:**

Irv Plot  
Power Outage  
Office Occasion  
Couch  
The Book  
Secret affair  
Being Outed  
Cheese Cube  
Cruella


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Thank you for all of your kind words about the last two chapters. I hope that you like this chapter and will continue to enjoy the story as it progresses.

* * *

 **Part 3**

-.-.-.-.- **Tuesday, July 3rd 2007** -.-.-.-.-

Andrea leaned against the back wall of the elevator car as she watched the numbers slowly tick down. Her body was breaking out in a heated sweat. The air conditioner in the elevator car unable to keep up with her body's rising temperature.

Andrea wished suddenly that she had taken that glass of ice water with her.

Andrea panted as quietly as she could, careful to keep an eye on Miranda as she waved her fingers in front of her face in a vain attempt to cool off.

Miranda was standing in the other back corner of the elevator, at least three feet away from Andrea. The older woman was mindful of the cameras in the elevator and did not trust every member of the security team not to take stills of their elevator ride and sell them to the highest bidder if they saw anything remotely untoward.

Miranda breathed in deeply and her nostrils twitched as the air of the elevator was consumed with pheromones. Miranda's eyes fluttered at the delicious scent wafting through the air. It was the sweet scent of...of what? Miranda breathed in again through her nose, eyes closing of their own violation as she sucked in the mouthwatering scent of...of what? It wasn't a beta's heat. There was no telltale scent of beta, a distinct scent that Miranda was well familiarized with in her line of work, mixed with this scent.

It was something unique. Marvelous. Something Miranda had never smelt before. The smell stirred in her the deepest primal of urges to mate. A sudden need that began to fill her stomach with want as it traveled through her like the strongest of viruses.

Miranda, unbeknown to herself, was growling low in her throat. The reaction uncontrollable.

Where was this scent coming from? Who had given it off? The smell was faint, almost as if the person had been in the elevator before them. Miranda had not seen anyone exit on their floor, so perhaps they had gotten off at another floor before the lift had arrived.

Miranda opened her eyes slowly, licking her lips as she savored the smell, and turned to Andrea, wondering if the younger woman could place the smell. After all the woman was an alpha herself.

Just as Miranda opened her mouth to ask Andrea the elevator lights blinked off and the elevator floor beneath them dropped, sending that pleasant feeling in the pit of Miranda's stomach away quickly as it was replaced by fear.

The elevator jerked to a halt as the emergency break kicked in and emergency lights lit the small space in an eerie green and orange glow.

"Miranda?! Miranda are you okay?" Andrea asked, her voice filled with receding panic as she bent down to help Miranda up from the floor.

Miranda hadn't even realized that she'd fallen to the floor until Andrea kneeled beside her to help her up. Normally, she would Wave off the assistance, but she was too dazed and this was Andrea. Andrea who was kind and truly concerned for her, not afraid of her.

Miranda groaned as she stood up, leaning heavily against Andrea as she put weight back on her feet testing them. Her head was hazy, dizzy from the short free fall of the elevator. She hissed as her knees throbbed. She'd fallen rather hard on them when the elevator had been stopped by the emergency brakes.

"Bruised."

"Where?" Andrea asked, eyes wide with her own discomfort and fear for their current situation.

"My knees." Miranda offered, leaning against the wall when Andrea suddenly squatted down to the side of her, the woman's hands squeezing around Miranda's right kneecap. "Tstsss..." Miranda hissed at even the gentle pressure.

"Sorry...just wanted to make sure it wasn't dislocated." When Miranda looked down to glare at Andrea her eyes widened, noting for the first time their position. Andrea bent as she was beside her, the woman's head level with Miranda's hips.

"I will be fine, Andrea." Miranda snapped, swallowing down the shot of arousal that coursed through her already simmering veins.

Andrea nodded, seemingly unaware of the precarious position she'd just had them in.

Miranda was just grateful that the power was out and so to were the cameras of the elevator.

"Still, you should probably keep your weight off of it." Andrea advised.

"Why thank you, Andrea. I didn't realize one of your many skills was in medicine. From where did you obtain your medical degree?"

Andrea puffed out a long breathe, trying very hard to be understanding of Miranda's sudden mood swing. Their elevator had just dropped them, she didn't know how many feet, they were stuck in said elevator and to make matters worse Miranda had been injured in front of someone. She was forced to show weakness in front of someone, which would really tick her off. Not to mention how Miranda had a normal fear of elevators. Now to be stuck in one? Andrea could only imagine how uncomfortable Miranda was, but that didn't make it right for her to take it out on Andrea.

"Cincinnati Volunteer fire department. I was a volunteer EMT for five years. Had to pass the regular EMT test and everything." Andrea mumbled the answer, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the wall.

The elevator car still had some cool air in it, but it wouldn't last, and she was already burning up. All Andrea wanted to do was breathe heavily, pant, get as much air in her lungs as she could, but she didn't. She took controlled breaths in...and out. In...and out.

They'd be out of here in no time. The backup generators for the building would kick in and the elevator would come back online and bring them down-slowly-this time.

Miranda's eyebrows rose at Andrea's answer. Andrea would never stop surprising her it seemed.

Watching Andrea closely, even in the dim light, Miranda could tell Andrea was as disturbed by their current situation as she was.

Andrea moved over to the controls and rang the emergency call button. But it didn't ring and no one came to speak to her through the speakers. She tried a few more times but also made sure to pull the fire alarm button so the fire department would be notified that they were stuck. Even if the speakers didn't come to life and she didn't hear the ring she knew the fire department would get the signal. Depending on how massive this power outage was though, it could be a while before they got to them.

Andrea took out her phone and saw she had one bar. She quickly shot a text to Emily telling her they were stuck in the elevator and it'd already fell several floors. She watched, anxiously, as the message tried to send. When her phone confirmed that it'd gone through she breathed a sigh of relief but frowned when that single bar of service disappeared, and the no signal warning replaced it.

"Damn...I think, I think the text went through to Emily. But I don't have service now." So even if it did and Emily texted back she wouldn't get it.

"I suppose time will tell then."

"Yeah..." Andrea sighed.

The two women settled in for the wait, unsure how long it would take to get them out.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Emily looked down at her phone when she felt it vibrate. It was from Andrea. Reading over the message her eyes widened and she rushed over to where Nigel was talking to Irv Ravitz and Jonathan Clarke who was on the phone with security and building management.

The emergency lights were on and illuminating the area in distinct glows that did little for anyone's coloring. Emily rolled her eyes and finished off her third glass of champagne in the last ten minutes. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck on the 38th floor of Elias-Clarke with these windbags.

Emily looked down at her phone when she felt it vibrate. It was from Andrea. Reading over the message her eyes widened and she rushed over to where Nigel was talking to Irv Ravitz and Jonathan Clarke who was on the phone with security and building management.

It seemed that Andrea had drawn the short stick when it came to unwanted situations. No one would envy Andrea being stuck in an elevator with Miranda Priestly on a good day. And seeing as how this day had been going, Miranda's swift exit after speaking with Irv, and how hot it was already in this large room, it was not a good day. It was a very very bad day.

"Excuse me gentlemen. We have a problem." Emily stated as she pushed her way into the circle they had made around each other.

"What is it, Em?"

"Miranda and Andrea are stuck in the elevator. And it would seem that it is unsturdy as it's already fallen several floors."

Nigel's eyes widened, as did Jonathan's. The only one who didn't seem concerned by the situation but almost gleeful about it was Irv.

Emily eyed the man as Jonathan informed the building management of the situation. She would need to keep an eye on him, which meant no more drinking for her.

Suddenly she wasn't sure who had it worse. Her or Andrea.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was a sauna in the elevator. They had been stuck for almost a half an hour. No sign of the power coming back on or of anyone coming to get them.

Just thirty whole minutes of alone time with Miranda Priestly. Andrea tried to make it work, tried to push past the awkwardness and anxiousness of the situation. She asked how the girls were liking their time with their father this week, if they had anything big planned for the 4th of July in Connecticut.

Miranda answered, but made no effort to then continue the conversation. So, after twenty minutes Andrea had given up. She took up one corner of the elevator and

tried to look anywhere but at her boss. The more she looked at Miranda the warmer she became. It was like her insides were on fire and the flames were only getting larger and larger the longer she looked at her boss and they remained trapped in this elevator.

Andrea pulled at the collar of her shirt and shook it, trying to expel some of the trapped heat.

As she did, Miranda's nose twitched. The woman, who'd closed her eyes and was attempting to meditate, opened her eyes and stared at Andrea as she flapped her shirt about and expelled both heat and that delicious aroma that Miranda had detected only slightly when they first stepped into the elevator.

The smell that had her mouth watering and her insides twisting into aroused knots, was Andrea.

Miranda growled, unable to help herself.

Andrea's eyes widened at the sound and she snapped her gaze on Miranda.

"Andreaaa..." Miranda rumbled, suddenly panting in an effort to suck in more of Andrea's potent perfume.

Andrea's eyes couldn't widen any further, her pupils fully dilated as Miranda's narrowed in on her as if she were prey.

"Miranda?" Andrea questioned, her mouth dry.

"What...is...that..." Miranda growled out a low reverberating moan, "...smell?"

Andrea felt a fission of fear overwhelm her as she stared into Miranda's narrowed eyes and flaring nostrils. "Mir...Miranda?" Andrea questioned.

"Why...uhh..." Miranda moaned as she breathed more of the scent in. "...do you smell...like this?" Miranda's teeth were grinding together as her rational mind tried to fathom why Andrea, an alpha, smelled as if she were in heat.

Andrea remained silent, her mouth opening and closing as she realized why she was so hot. It wasn't the elevator. Or the heat wave.

No, she was in heat. Her first heat. Her suppressants weren't working. That was the only explanation for why Miranda was looking at her the way she was, why the woman was reacting to her scent in such a blatant way.

It was always advised that betas in heat remain home. There were laws protecting their jobs for the three to five days they would need to take in order for the heat to pass. There were also strict laws forbidding alphas from taking advantage of a beta while in heat. There needed to be strict consent between the two parties, and under no circumstances were mating bites to be given during heat without prior discussion and consent.

There were, sadly, dozens of cases every month of weak willed alphas unable to control their baser instincts who sexually assaulted betas, or knotted them without consent, especially during a betas heat or an alphas rut.

Andrea had learned from a young age that omegas were different. When an omega went into heat it was nearly impossible for any alphas or betas to control their primal instincts to mate. The scent alone was supposedly so powerful even the strongest willed were felled by their sexual needs. As Andrea was one of the only omegas, possibly the only Omega, in nearly six generations people would kill to mate with her during her heat.

Wars had been fought over the right to mate with an omega, so strong was the pheromones an omega released during heat. Alphas killed betas and other alphas to have the privilege to mate, and usually breed, an omega.

Had Andrea understood that she was in heat she would have left Manhattan. She couldn't stay at her apartment during a heat, her smell would attract any nearby alpha or beta and drive them mad until they got to her. The underground that Andrea and her parents had turned to when she'd presented had safe houses all over the country. There was one in the suburbs in Queens that was ready for the day she went through her first heat.

If only she had paid closer attention to what her body had been telling her for the last five days!

"Andrea..." Miranda growled, her hands fisting at her side as she tried to fight the urges overcoming her.

The low rumbling sound sent a ten-foot wave of arousal crashing against Andrea as roughly as the Atlantic was during a hurricane.

Andrea whimpered at the growl and moved as far away from Miranda as this small elevator car would allow. "Miranda, please..." Andrea begged, not specifying what she was begging for. She wasn't ready to tell Miranda what was happening, what she was. She shouldn't have to tell anyone. If the power had stayed on she'd be in her own apartment where she could call someone to come and help her get to the safe house.

"Andrea...what is happening?" To me, was left unsaid but clearly understood as Miranda rolled her head around her shoulders to release the tension that was building in her body.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Just, stay over there." Andrea pulled out her cellphone and wanted to scream when she realized that she still had no service. "Fuck!" Andrea cursed as she slapped her phone against her thigh. Her skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat and any movement made her scent waft about the small elevator and cause Miranda to grow tenser and tenser.

Andrea was still clear headed, for now, but she knew the deeper and longer she went through her heat the less and less control she would have over her actions and thoughts. Her desire for Miranda was not new. She had spent the better part of two months waking from wet dreams about her boss. They had gotten far more intense the last five days, and that along with her sensitivity to smell, easy irritability and quickness to anger and violence, as well as how hot she'd been feeling the last five days, should have been enough for her to understand she was going into heat.

Maybe she needed to tell Miranda what was happening. It didn't seem like rescue was coming anytime soon and she might not be able to explain herself. The longer she waited to explain the less likely it was that she'd be able to.

"I'm...apparently...in heat." Andrea admitted cringing as she saw Miranda's kids lower as she glowered at Andrea.

"You...but you're an alpha." Miranda was confused. "I know you are. You are no beta, Andrea."

"No," Andrea gulped, "I'm not a beta. And I'm not an alpha." Andrea stressed this, staring at Miranda, imploring her to understand what she wasn't saying. What the only other option was, no matter how impossible.

"No..." Miranda uttered, pushing herself all the way against the far corner of the elevator, away from Andrea. Her hands digging into the metal wall behind her. "No! That is, you cannot be...they are extinct! There has not been... _an omega_...in a hundred and fifty years!"

Miranda was aghast. Unable to believe what her assistant was telling her. Rationally it was impossible for Andrea to be an omega. But physically Miranda knew it was possible. Her body had never reacted to the scent of a betas heat this way and as an alpha it was unmanageable for Andrea to be going into heat. The intoxicating way Andrea's pheromones reeked was more potent then Miranda had ever encountered before. That truly only left one option, no matter how improbable it would otherwise seem.

"It's actually been 163 years since the last confirmed omega." Andrea recited out of habit, wincing when Miranda's glare hardened.

Miranda rolled her eyes, "Forgive me, you're the first in 163 years!"

"I didn't...I'm sorry." Andrea bowed her head. "If I knew I wouldn't be here."

"If you _knew_...how could you not **know**!" Miranda bristled in anger, focusing on that feeling rather than the way her body was being swayed towards Andrea on its own accord. "Do you not understand what this will do? How this will affect those around you!" Miranda hissed, finding it harder and harder to ignore the arousal pooling in her belly. The knowledge that it was Andrea's heat, the woman with whom she was already attracted to, only made this situation worse.

Andrea sulked, wishing the elevator floor would suck her through so she would not see how disappointed Miranda was in her. "This is my first heat! I didn't know, Miranda. I swear. I'm so, _so_ sorry." Andrea whispered, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

"Stop. Apologizing."

"I'm..."

Miranda raised a single eyebrow and Andrea snapped her mouth shut.

Miranda ground her teeth together and resolved to breathe in through her mouth. Surely, they would be rescued soon and she would not be forced to do anything against both of their wishes. Except the more she did the more she could taste the pheromones in the air and her blood started to boil with her own need. Andrea's heat triggering a sympathetic rut in her own system. The lack of clean air in the elevator made it impossible to ignore Andrea's scent and the warmer the air became the thicker it settled in around them making Andrea's smell even headier.

Miranda heard the ruffling of material and opened her eyes, feeling her pulse jump as she watched Andrea strip off her Vivienne Westwood blouse revealing a toned abdomen covered in perspiration. Perspiration that Miranda imagined licking off with the flat of her tongue, dragging it from Andrea's hips up to the woman's neck where her teeth would mark the skin and claim the girl as-Miranda shook her head and tried to control her wayward thoughts.

"What are you doing?"

"Stripping." Andrea didn't comment any further.

Instead she slid down the wall of the elevator till she was seated on the disgusting floor. As Andrea slid down to rest more comfortably on the floor—obvious that she had given up hope of being rescued anytime soon—Miranda caught sight of a tattoo upon the young woman's hip. But before she could make it out Andrea was seated, and Miranda could not see it from her current angle.

Miranda refused to sit, refused to admit that they were going to be stuck here for much longer. They had to get out. Those doors had to open before she did something unforgivable.

Miranda's eyes focused on Andrea's hip, trying to keep her eyes away from the black lace of Andrea's bra and the breasts now more visibly on display.

Andrea noted where Miranda was staring and chuckled, "It's a tattoo."

"Yes, I'd noticed that." Miranda waited a moment, allowing the silence to drag on. "Of what?"

Andrea's breathing was growing labored and her body shivered every few minutes the deeper she fell into her heat. But she did her best to remain as present as possible. Miranda's question helped pull her forward, keep her where she needed to be, alert and aware. "It's Tinkerbell." Andrea twisted and lifted her hips off of the floor, stretching her arm up so Miranda could see the tattoo along her right hip better. It was the small blonde pixie from Peter Pan. The tattoo seemed to capture the pixie in flight as she flew towards the North Star, also imprinted on Andrea's skin. There was small writing under the elegantly designed tattoo.

"The fairy from Peter Pan?"

Andrea giggled, settling back down upon the floor as she looked up at Miranda, who was still standing, probably too afraid to get her Bill Blass pants dirty. Andy in the meantime reached down to take off the Chanel boots she was wearing, the material making her skin itch as it rubbed against her sweating skin.

"She's actually a pixie."

"Mmm…" Miranda did not dignify the clarification with a fully verbal response.

There was another small stretch of silence where Miranda gently ran her finger down the seam of her Nicole Miller blazer and undid the button, pulling it fully open to relieve some of the warmth surrounding her.

"Do you have others?" At Andrea's tilted head Miranda sighed and clarified, "Tattoos, Andrea. Do you have other tattoos?"

"Nope, just this one." Andrea reverently traced the outline of the tattoo that was once again hidden from Miranda's view.

"Why the pixie?" Miranda did not like the silence filling the room and with no one else to talk to and with her staunch refusal to talk about Andrea's breed and the situation they found themselves in, talking about Andrea's surprise tattoo seemed as good a subject as any to focus on.

"It's sentimental to me. My grandfather told me that all I'd need to find my soulmate was a little luck and some pixie dust. Like he had found his soulmate with my grandmother." Andrea smiled fondly at the memory of her grandfather. A wistful smile that spoke of loss and profound love.

"When did he pass?"

"Seven years ago." Andrea's voice caught, and she cleared her throat of the sudden tearful emotion that bubbled up. "Just after my 19th birthday. I, I had presented as an Omega when I was sixteen. I was terrified and heartbroken. As an omega I would only ever have reasons to fear people. How could I ever find love, or my mate if I was constantly under pressure from betas and alphas alike to mate with them, pick them, whether I wanted to or not?" Andrea pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "My grandfather promised me, _promised_ , that I would find my special someone. I'd find my soulmate, my true mate, and when I did, the world would change." Andrea's wistful smile returned, but there were tears in her eyes now that she subtly wiped away when they fell.

"Anyway, my parents were horrified, but my grandfather, he found the Underground society. The Underground society is a…"

"Yes, I know about the Underground. They profess to be above the biological hierarchy of the human race. If I'm not mistaken it is filled with people who do not present at all. They consider themselves more evolved for this lack of designation."

Andrea wondered why she should be surprised, of course Miranda had heard of the Underground.

"So why then would they help you, an… _omega_?" It was still hard for Miranda to say the words, to acknowledge that the woman across from her was truly the first omega in seven generations.

"They understood the dangers I would be facing because of my status. So, they agreed to help me. They gave me pills that made me present to the world as an alpha. But they also suppressed my natural hormones, which is why I've never gone into heat."

Miranda wondered how they had gotten onto the subject that she'd wanted to avoid with a ten-foot pole. However, the information was helpful. If there were suppressants involved then this heat should have been regulated or, at the very least, kept from happening.

"Are you no longer taking them?"

Andrea glared at Miranda in indignation, "Of course I'm still taking them!"

"And yet, here we are…" Miranda accused.

"I know…" Gods did she know. She was burning up from the inside out in front of the one person she should have avoided during this heat as her desire for Miranda was already unconscionable. "I don't understand why. I'm _so sorry_ , Miranda, if I had suspected for a moment that I was actually in heat I wouldn't have put you at risk."

"Me? You're worried about _me_?" Miranda tilted her head in utter confusion.

Andrea's eyes stared unbelievingly at Miranda, "Of course I am. I would never want to put you in this situation. I know how potent my pheromones can be. I know what they can do to even the strongest willed people. I also know that you, you live and breathe control. This…lack of control, must be incredibly difficult for you."

Miranda wanted to laugh. Andrea was more concerned with how she was being affected by this situation, rather than concerned about her own safety. It appeared Andrea understood what could happen to Miranda if they remained in this elevator, trapped with only Andrea's pheromones in the air, and yet she was more concerned with how Miranda would take this. Not about her own safety but Miranda's dignity.

"Andrea you are…" Miranda shook her head. She did not know what she wanted to call the woman. Irresponsible, secretive, surprising, brilliant, kind, selfless…beautiful. The list was long and seemingly unending and so she couldn't find the right words to say, so she didn't say anything.

Andrea flinched, waiting for the verbal assault; that never came. Instead she turned back to see Miranda gazing at her with open appreciation and amazement. The unguarded look took Andrea's breath away.

Just as Andrea opened her mouth to say…something…the elevator lights turned back on, the hum of electricity cycling through the cart. The elevator shuttered, making both women lock eyes in worry. But the car didn't move or free fall as it had before. It stayed stationary and soon the trembling stopped.

"Ladies, this is Lieutenant Trevor, can you hear me?"

Andrea twisted and leapt across the elevator to get to the button along the wall directly in front of her. "Yes, yes we can hear you. Please, you have to get us out of here."

"We're doing everything we can to get you down, Miss."

"No, no, you don't understand." Andrea shook her head as hope and fear and utter panic filled her chest. "I've gone…" Andrea internally flinched, knowing you weren't supposed to share such private information, but Lieutenant Trevor and his team needed to know how dire this situation was becoming. "I'm in heat. You _**need**_ …to get us out of here."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Emily and Nigel were both trying to ignore the sweat stains on their own clothes from having to walk down 39 flights of stairs. But their concern for their designer clothes and how awful they looked was displaced as they watched on the security feed as Andrea leapt across the elevator to get to the speaker. Andrea was only partially dressed while Miranda remained fully clothed but standing as far away from Andrea as was possible.

Emily and Nigel shared a concerned, and confused look with each other as they heard Andrea's disembodied voice come through the speakers in the control room.

The backup generators had come back on nearly fifteen minutes ago. The entire building wasn't back online, power had been diverted to certain sections of the building. Elevators were just coming back online. Of the ten elevators in the building the only one remaining trapped between floors was number 6, the elevator Andrea and Miranda were currently stuck inside.

"Did that young woman just say—" Irv's eyes widened as he stood to the left of Nigel and Emily who stood behind the Lieutenant.

Emily could only nod. Though she wondered what Andrea was playing at. Emily knew full well that Andrea was an alpha. There was no way that Andrea could have fooled her for so long. They'd worked too closely together for her not to know.

The Lieutenant whistled to get the attention of his team. "We need to get that elevator down to the nearest floor. Now." The imposing man looked at the security guard in front of him and those behind him. "Talk with them. Keep her calm. I'm going to see what I can do."

"Alright." The security guard, Nick, nodded, eyes wide as he stared at the image in front of him. He normally enjoyed looking at all the models and beautiful women that came in and out of this building, but even he was anxious at the idea of a beta stuck in an elevator with a super alpha like Miranda Priestly while in heat.

"Uhm…the fire department is going to get the elevator to the nearest floor and get you out of there." Nick spoke into the speaker.

Miranda could be seen rolling her eyes at the sound of the young man's voice.

"Here, move over." Emily sat down in the seat beside the man and pushed the button to communicate with the elevator. "We have everything under control out here, Miranda. The power is back on thanks to the generators. There just seems to be something wrong with the elevator mechanism that has you trapped between floors. They are working diligently to get you both out of there. Shant be more than a few more minutes."

Emily was surprised to see Miranda say "thank you, Emily" while looking dead into the camera.

"How you holding up, Six?" Nigel asked from over Emily's shoulder as the Brit held the button.

They watched as Andrea laughed, brokenly. "I've been much, _much_ better, Nigel."

"Just hang in there kid. They're coming."

Andrea nodded and sat back down on the floor, sliding back towards the wall she'd been leaning against when the power had been off.

Irv watched from his vantage point as Miranda twisted away from Andrea as the woman moved—her eyes looking elsewhere then at the woman she was sharing the elevator with. He wondered how he might be able to use this to his advantage. If only he could get Nigel and Emily away, just one photo of Andrea half naked on the floor with Miranda standing, looming above her, would ruin the woman. No amount of spin could erase the image from the public's mind. It would ruin Miranda's career, and he couldn't be happier with that outcome. Now if only he could get one picture.

 **End Part 3**

* * *

 **Prompts from the Bingo Card:**

1) Injury  
2) Tattoo  
3) Soulmate  
4) Sharing an Elevator  
5) Stuck Somewhere  
6) Chanel Boots


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Please note that the rating for this chapter goes up. There is sexual content between consenting adults. As with other A/B/O stories there is a form of gender-bending.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy. :D

* * *

 **Part 4**

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Thirty minutes later and there was no sight of the fire department coming to their rescue.

In those thirty minutes Andrea had begun to deteriorate. Her breathing was heavy, body shivering even as her temperature rose, while her eyes remained unfocused.

Emily and Nigel had tried to keep Andrea invested in conversation, but it had failed about ten minutes ago. But it wasn't only Andrea they were worried about.

Miranda stood in the opposite corner with her back turned from Andrea and the camera. The fan in the elevator was on but it was doing nothing to filter the already heady aroma practically seeped into the walls at this point. Miranda was sure it would take weeks for her to scrub off this intoxicating scent.

Miranda's nails were digging into her palms as she tried in vain to focus on the pain rather than her growing _**need**_ for Andrea. A need that was now fully visible should anyone get a look at her, thus why she'd turned her back on the camera. She did not need her subordinates to see how affected she was by Andrea's pheromones.

Andrea's soft whimpers of discomfort and accelerating desire were driving Miranda out of her mind.

"Come on, Andy, stay with us." Nigel pleaded through the speaker.

Andrea dropped her forehead to the metal wall to her left and sighed at the cool touch of the surface. "Trying…" Andrea whispered, voice breathless.

"For the love of god…" Miranda growled, twisting and stalking quickly to the wall with the speaker. "What is taking so long? Do they not understand the situation we are in? Are they truly this incompetent?!"

"Miranda, they are doing their best."

"Their best is not good enough. Call the civil engineers office, find us someone who can get us out of here before it's too late!" Miranda practically squealed, her voice pitched so high.

"Miranda…" There was a warning tone in Nigel's voice. An unspoken warning for Miranda to keep her wits about her and not take advantage of Andrea.

If only he truly understood. If only the fire fighters understood that she was not merely in the lift with a beta going into heat, but an elusive omega. The only omega on record in years. Maybe then they would work harder and faster, if only to have Andrea for themselves.

The thought of anyone else touching _her_ Andrea caused a low growl to reverberate through the elevator. A sound that was immediately matched by Andrea's low whimper, the sound obviously affecting her.

"Nigel…" Miranda hung her head. "… _please_. We can't take much more of this."

There was a gasp of surprise and shock that came from Emily, Miranda was sure, before the line went silent.

"Miranda…" Andrea called out softly.

Miranda refused to turn around and face the young woman but she twisted her head to the side as she acknowledged the brunette. "Yes, Andrea?"

"We need…to, to…start talking…about consent." Andrea panted, head lulling from one side to the other as she looked at her boss' backside.

Miranda cringed, her nails biting swiftly into her palms as she released a whimper of her own, unable to stop it from escaping. There was a warm tight tension in her groin that she was having trouble ignoring the longer she remained in this small space with Andrea's pheromones wafting aimlessly through the air, uncaring how they were affecting Miranda.

"No, no, we are not at that point yet Andrea."

"Yes, yes we are." Andrea argued, her tongue sneaking out to lick at dry lips.

Miranda's eyes watched the slow swipe of that dexterous tongue, moisten the lips and case a clear gloss to shine on them for a moment. Her own breath hitched at the sight. "Andrea..."

"Miranda, please!" Andrea begged, her voice raising for a moment before she settled down again. " _Please…_ we need to."

Miranda shook her head from side to side, she would not hear of this. She wouldn't. "I will not, this is unacceptable. You are in no condition to give consent."

"I'm in better …condition than I will be…soon." Andrea argued. "So are you."

"I am _**fine**_." Miranda stressed, eyes as clear as they could become, with the anger Andrea's accusation caused. She would remain in control. She was not an animal. She would not hurt Andrea. Ever. Not her Andrea.

"You're going…going to lose…lose control."

They both knew it was true. It was only a matter of time. If it was anyone else Andrea was sure that they would have lost complete control of themselves a long time ago. But this being Miranda Priestly, Super Alpha, she had lasted far longer than just 'anyone else'.

"I will not." Miranda twisted so she could glare at Andrea for even saying she would lose control. "I will not hurt you, Andrea. I will not take advantage of you." She was better than her baser instincts.

They would get out of this elevator and…and…and then what? Was Miranda to trust that Andrea could escape the city without being accosted by strangers unable to control themselves as well as she could? What was she to do when they could finally escape this death trap? A part of her wanted to run as far and as fast as she could away from Andrea. While the other was possessive enough to demand that once they were out she remain with Andrea. Even if she were not to 'assist' her during her heat, to make sure she remained protected from those lesser than her, from those that did not deserve Andrea.

And yet, there was this small niggling worry at the back of her neck that wondered if she was better than anyone else, because Andrea was right. She was not _fine_ , and she was uncertain how long she could remain in control.

Andrea felt tears prick her eyes. Wanting to believe that Miranda could have the will power not to give in to her baser needs, but knowing the older woman was already on the precipice of losing control, they needed to discuss consent. She would not allow this accident to ruin them both.

Andrea knew she was minutes away from begging Miranda to take her, and she knew, when she did, that Miranda needed to know she'd given her consent prior to losing all sensible thought. "I give you my consent."

"No, Andrea, stop speaking." Miranda growled closing her eyes as if by doing so she wouldn't hear Andrea giving her permission to sleep with her. No, not sleep. Fuck, to give in to primal urges and fuck Andrea until she couldn't take anymore. The thought was as appealing as it was grotesque.

Miranda never imagined sleeping with Andrea in such a rough, savage, way. She had always imagined taking her time exploring the young woman's supple body, allowing her hands the time they so craved to map out every contour of Andrea's form. She had imagined her lips marking her skin with only the slightest hint of teeth and gods how she had longed to take her time settled between Andrea's thighs and taste her. Never had her imaginations—and she had many of them—have Andrea in heat. Until this afternoon Miranda had assumed Andrea was an alpha and they could both enjoy each other without their primal urges overshadowing their desires.

If it were any other time Miranda would spend time berating herself for ever imagining herself with Andrea in any sexual manner while Andrea was still her assistant, but that time would come (again) later. Now she had far too much swirling around in her mind to truly focus on her responsibilities as Andrea's boss, her insecurities as an older mother of two, and the propriety of a woman in her station.

"I give you consent to mate with me, Miranda." Andrea repeated, swallowing thickly as she stared longingly at the older woman. "But do not, do _**not**_ knot me, or mark me." Andrea didn't trust that the suppressants she was on would hold, after all they were supposed to keep her from going into heat to begin with. She didn't want to risk children being conceived.

Miranda whined and moved as far away from Andrea as she could. Her palms were covered with crescent shaped marks, but she had not broken skin, yet.

Andrea languidly crawled forward and pressed the button for the speaker. "Nige…Em. I give Miranda permission to mate with me. I'm as of sound mind as I'm going to be. She has, my consent."

"Andy…are you—"

"I give her my consent." Andrea repeated, her voice low and head hung as it was too heavy to hold up and look into the camera. Her hand slid off the button and fell to the floor beneath her, where she crawled so her back was against the wall with the call buttons and she could reach above and behind her to press the speaker button.

Andrea pulled her knees up to her chest, uncaring that if Miranda looked she could see up her skirt. At this point there was a very slim chance that Miranda wouldn't see her completely naked in the next few minutes so what point was there in sitting like a 'lady'?

"I'll give in my two weeks notice."

"What?" Miranda's eyes widened as looked over to Andrea but then quickly looked away.

Why shouldn't she, Andrea wondered? With the articles coming out about their friendship and now this. It would leak. It would destroy Miranda's career, it would destroy her career. Irv would make sure of that. No, it was better that she quit. Here and now so that Miranda could remain unblemished.

Andrea lifted her hand to the button and pressed it firmly, "Nigel. I'm resigning from my position as first assistant effective immediately."

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Andy!" Emily squawked, "You can't…"

How could Andrea quit? Now, of all times? They didn't have a second assistant, and now they would be without a first assistant. Andrea only had two, maybe three, more months before she would graduate on to whatever position she wanted, wherever she wanted to go.

"Andrea, what is the meaning of this?" Miranda asked, her voice sounded practically acidic even from all the way down here. Emily still had to remind herself that she was safe and very _very_ far away from the angry editor.

"Nigel…am I…understood?" Andrea repeated. "I resigned. As of two hours ago."

Nigel sighed. "Yes, Six, you are."

"Nigel!" Emily released the speaker button and turned to her colleague. "You cannot be serious! She's not in her right mind."

Nigel ran his hand over his head, "She is perfectly within her right mind. If she weren't she wouldn't be doing this." Emily stared, waiting for Nigel to explain himself. "Don't you see, if they aren't rescued in time…" which Nigel did not want to think about "…then this would destroy Miranda's career. Andy is protecting them both by saying she quit two hours ago. Before any of this happened."

"Bloody hell." Emily muttered and dropped her head to the desk in front of the surveillance cameras.

"What's happened?" Irv asked as he finally returned, his eyes noting the distance still being maintained between the two women in the elevator.

Emily grit her teeth. "Nothing has changed. They're still bloody well stuck."

"Young man, you're needed outside." Nick jumped up, glad to get away. Irv followed Nick, and Nigel's eyes followed Irv's departure curiously.

"Are you okay to watch them for a while?" Emily turned to glare at Nigel, telling him she wasn't moving even if he asked her to. "I'll be right back. Keep them calm."

"Right…" Emily sarcastically bit out. How in the world was she supposed to keep them calm?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"You cannot just resign." Miranda was incensed, how could Andrea do this? After all they had been going through!?

"I just did." Andrea puffed closing her eyes as she tried to imagine herself submerged in a bathtub filled with cold water, anything to help fight off this infernal heat.

Miranda crossed her arms in defiance, "I refuse to accept your resignation."

Andrea smirked at Miranda, "It's not up to you."

"Of course it is! You are my assistant!"

"And you transferred me to Nigel three months ago. He's my direct supervisor. He decides when I get raises, when I get promoted. And he's the one I give in my resignation to. And _**he…**_ just accepted it." Andrea spit out, gasping in air after getting all of that out as fast as she could.

Miranda grit her teeth, realizing that Andrea was correct. She had transferred Andrea under Nigel three months ago when she became aware of Andrea's relationship with the girls, and she herself started thinking of the young woman more fondly then was appropriate as her boss. It was meant to protect them both. Now it seemed it would help damn her.

" _This…"_ Andrea waved her hand in the air between them. "…has been a long time coming anyway."

"Oh? You've wanted to quit?" If Miranda's voice broke at that sentence they both ignored it.

"No." Andrea laughed, "Yes, I guess..." Andrea leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling. "I love my job. I… _love_ …working with you. I love the girls. But I'm meant for more than this. More than being your assistant. I'm good. I'm really good, I know I am. I've put in my time. So, yes. This, quitting, has been a long time coming. But I really meant…" Andrea shut up.

"Really meant what?" Miranda pushed, catching on to the way Andrea's words hitched in her throat. She dared to turn around and look at the young woman. "Meant…what?"

Andrea swallowed, heart racing against her chest as she held Miranda's gaze, "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"No." Miranda whispered, eyes narrowing in as she smelled Andrea's anxiety, her fear, spike through the alluring scent of her heat. She found herself stepping closer to the seated woman without her own conscious consent.

Andrea's heart thudded rapidly against her chest, the closer Miranda came to her the faster it beat. Andrea stood up, leaning heavily against the wall as Miranda finally came to stand directly in front of her. The heady scent of Miranda's own arousal caused Andrea's eyes to roll back in her head, her body swaying towards the older woman.

"Excuse me, you need to separate yourselves. Immediately!" Emily's muffled voice broke through the elevator, but neither woman heard it.

They were too lost in each other's eyes. Andrea's mouth parted slowly as her eyes dipped between Miranda's penetrating gaze to the editor's lips, lips that were so close, so very close. Andrea's head lulled forward to capture those lips with her own.

"Miranda. Get yourself under control. The both of you!" Emily screeched.

"Miranda…" Andrea whispered, trying to follow Miranda's lips as the older woman kept pulling her head away every time Andrea leaned forward.

"What…did…you…mean."

Andrea whined but remained mum.

"What…did…you…mean." Miranda repeated, eyes lidded and glazed as she stared at Andrea's parted lips, her body only inches away from the younger woman. The heat radiating off of Andrea was intense and was seeping into Miranda's own clothes and skin, the touch of it causing goosebumps along her arms.

"I swear to Christ if you two do not break apart this instant I will…" Emily was frantic on the other side of the speaker. But neither woman cared.

"I, mhmm…Miranda, please." Andrea begged her hands flat against the elevator wall behind her as she leaned her head forward again, needing Miranda's lips, her touch, needing her so much.

"Tell. Me." Miranda raised her hand up and cupped Andrea's cheek. They both moaned at the electric shock of their skin touching for the first time during this ordeal.

Andrea turned into Miranda's touch, feeling as if she were going to faint. "Uhh…I…you _have_ to know."

Miranda dared to lean forward but twisted her head, so she could rest her chin upon Andrea's shoulder if she wished, her lips mere centimeters from Andrea's ear. "Tell me."

"God…Miranda, I lah…"

The elevator shook, sending Andrea crashing into Miranda, who opened her arms and caught the omega while stumbling backwards until her back was now pressed against the wall, her arms securely locking Andrea in place. Miranda looked around themselves at the moving lift and turned to stare at the opening doors behind Andrea.

Andrea, whose eyes were no longer brown but a distinct shade of black. Something inside Miranda's stomach shifted violently as she leaned forward and captured Andrea's lips, claiming them for her own.

The firefighters who stood at the door to the elevator all remained standing upright as the doors opened, but the security personnel with them wobbled on their feet at the smell of Andrea's heat as if rushed from the elevator out into the open air. The fireman had on oxygen masks, prepared for this situation, and three of them had to grab the two security guards that tried to rush into the elevator and stake a claim on Andrea.

Meanwhile, Miranda and Andrea were completely absorbed with each other. Miranda's hands, that had wrapped around Andrea to catch her, now held the woman tightly against her body. Her fingers splayed out across Andrea's bare back, her nails dragging across the expanse of skin as she used her grip to spin them around and pin Andrea against the wall. Her hands slid from behind Andrea's back to pull up the brunette's hands till she held them above Andrea's head firmly against the wall, keeping the younger woman exactly where she wanted her.

Andrea moaned into her mouth and Miranda used the sound as an opportunity to sneak her tongue into the omega's mouth. At the sudden rock of Andrea's hips against her erection Miranda groaned. She squeezed Andrea's wrists, her hands still held up against the wall of the elevator as Miranda pressed bodily against the younger woman. When she was sure Andrea would not move her hands, she allowed her palms to slide across the sweat soaked skin of Andrea's arms, her chest, and down to her hips where her fingers dug in to keep Andrea's grinding to a minimum.

It was Andrea's sudden slackness and crying moan into Miranda's mouth that caused Miranda's eyes to snap open in realization of what they were doing. Miranda's senses were more attuned to Andrea and those around them, Miranda could smell the other alphas and betas in the area. They would want what was hers. They would want her Andrea. That was unacceptable.

Miranda growled, the sound low and dangerous as she pulled away from Andrea's mouth, eyes casted towards the open door where the firefighters stood.

Andrea whined and tried to follow Miranda's lips, her hips still rocking more urgently against Miranda.

"Andrea," Miranda turned to the young woman, saw the eyes looking at her completely blown. "...come with me."

Andrea nodded, though she seemed confused by the prospect of leaving where they currently were. Miranda bent down to retrieve Andrea's discarded clothes and boots, handing them to the woman. "Put them on."

Andrea frowned, but the commanding tone in which Miranda spoke caused her to follow orders.

"You..." Miranda looked at the firefighters. "...will get us out of this building and into my car."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Emily..." Miranda looked to the camera as she pressed the button of the elevator. "Tell Roy to have the car waiting out front, and tell him to have the divider up and air conditioning on."

Although Miranda could not hear it, she was sure Emily was following her orders.

Miranda was uncertain how she was able to bring back her control. It was like pulling a kicking and screaming toddler away from the item they most desired. Yet, Miranda was doing it. She was remaining calm and collected and doing what she had to do in order to take care of Andrea. Perhaps it was the sudden threat of Andrea being taken away from her by any number of other alphas or betas.

They were all weak. She was strong. She would not hurt her Andrea. They would ruin Andrea and Miranda could not allow that. Andrea was hers…to protect.

"This way Ms. Priestly." Lt. Trevor gestured for Miranda to step out of the elevator. The three firefighters had subdued the two security officers and were keeping them upon the floor. The reaction perplexed the firefighters for how quickly the guards were affected, but they said nothing about it. Just did their jobs.

"We'll get you to your car."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Miranda wrapped one of her arms around Andrea's waist and held the woman close to her side, as clear a claim as any.

He nodded and he and two of his men created a circle around Miranda and Andrea.

When they arrived on the first floor Miranda braced herself, the hairs on the back of her neck erect as her body prepared to fight for her right to the woman in her arms. Their entourage was quick. They did not stop. They made a beeline for the exit and thanks to the black out there weren't that many people mulling around in the large lobby.

However, Emily was quick to sidle up to them. "The car is waiting, and he has put up the divider. He will drop Andrea off at her apartment and…" Emily breathed in Andrea's scent and her feet tripped over nothing at it. "What in the…" Emily growled softly at the scent of Andrea's heat. Her own body responding immediately to the sweet aroma.

Miranda twisted her head and glared at the young woman, her own sub vocal growl causing shivers to course through all those close to her. If there had ever been any question about Miranda's status as a Super Alpha it was quickly answered as the alphas around her felt their insides clammer to do as she bid them, to bow their heads and show their necks or even their stomachs as the case might be for some of the lesser alphas.

"Andrea will be accompanying me home, Emily." Miranda intoned as she snarled at the redhead.

Emily whimpered, her stomach twisting in her gut as she wrapped her arms around herself and nodded, trying not to breathe in Andrea's scent. "Is that the best idea, Miranda?" It physically hurt her to question Miranda's command. But she had to. For Andy.

"Andrea is coming home with me." Miranda insisted, daring Emily to challenge her. "Tell Roy."

Emily could hardly stand Andrea's scent any longer or the fear of God that Miranda was putting in her just by glaring at her. The only reason Emily wasn't challenging Miranda for a right to Andy was the mating mark upon her own neck, given to her by her own alpha, her mate. Just the thought of Serena made Emily calm. However, that did not mean the scent could not cause her to become aroused, and it was becoming visibly apparent just how much the scent was affecting her.

"Bollocks. You better not hurt her!" Emily warned, as she covered her mouth and nose and rushed away. Pulling out her cellphone to text Roy and let him know to bring them to Miranda's townhouse.

Miranda appreciated how loyal a friend Emily was to Andrea to risk speaking to her in such a manner. Miranda had obviously chosen right in Emily as the new Assistant Director position. But never had she been prouder of the redhead then she was now.

Miranda and Andrea made it to the town car without any further delay or issues, the firefighters keeping them well within their circle. Once within the car, Miranda breathed a deep sigh of relief. There would be little need to fight off any other prospective suitors for Andrea's attention and affection now that they were in the car. Roy would drop them off directly in front of Miranda's home and once there, they would be alone. Miranda's security system would keep all unwanted guests out and her generators would guarantee they were not puddles of sweat.

Roy started to drive almost as soon as the door was closed, and Miranda was grateful for his competence. She could not dare open the divider, which meant she was once again in an enclosed space with Andrea inches away and her mouthwatering scent quickly enveloped the small space.

"Miranda…." Andrea whimpered, unable to sit still as she stared at Miranda with unhindered desire. Hadn't she done as Miranda asked of her? She had been good. She had gotten dressed and followed Miranda and remained close to her. She hadn't made a scene or caused nearly as much trouble as she probably could have. Why then was Miranda so far away from her? Why was she being punished like this? Did Miranda not understand the pain that was like a living entity under her skin by their separation? Did she not know how much she craved her touch?

The adrenaline that surged through Miranda when she thought she might have to fight for Andrea was still coursing through it. It helped keep her mind clear for a moment of contemplation. A moment where she doubted herself and whether it was right to bring Andrea to her house. She had ever intention of sating Andrea's heat, of giving the young woman everything she could ever want. There was no doubt to her desire for Andrea, but there was still a questioning, niggling, doubt of whether Andrea truly wanted her, or was settling for her because she had no one else?

The thoughts swirled around her like a vortex of what ifs that were dashed away when Andrea whimpered from her side of the car, lip held between her teeth as she stared imploringly at Miranda.

"Damn it all to hell." Miranda muttered under her breath as she reached across the small distance between her and Andrea, grabbed at the nape of the younger woman's neck, and pulled them back towards each other.

Their lips crashed together like the waves of an unsettled storm, yet there was a perfect give and take between them just as there always had been. The to and fro, the balance and transition of power and control, the dominance and submission as they gave and took what they wanted.

Andrea slid over the seat and settled herself above Miranda, straddling the older woman, their lips hardly leaving each other. The skirt made it more difficult than it had to be, and yet even with that Andrea's lips remained upon Miranda's, the brunette unable and unwilling to disconnect from Miranda.

As Andrea settled atop Miranda her hips sank down and forward, rubbing against Miranda's erection. The sympathetic rut that Andrea's heat had caused within Miranda caused her clit to engorge and grow in length and width.

It had been nearly fifteen years since Miranda had gone into this form of rut. It was before all of her marriages as that had been the last time Miranda had shared a bed with a beta woman during their heat. With her husbands she'd just ridden them into the ground as she'd never allowed herself to be topped, never during a rut. It was surprising then to her how easily she let Andrea sit astride her, atop her, to essentially take control for the moment. The betas that Miranda had been with never would have dared be so presumptuous. But Andrea was different, she always had been.

It was exhilarating.

Miranda's grip tightened around Andrea's waist. At first she wanted to stop the way Andrea was grinding against her, but instead she found herself assisting the woman with her movements, her own hips canting up at the exquisite pressure.

Andrea's hand reached down between them towards Miranda's pants where she cupped the editor's erection and stroked up and down the visible length as it pressed firmly against Miranda's trousers desperate to be released. Miranda gasped at the touch having almost forgotten just how sensitive she could become.

Andrea dropped her mouth to Miranda's neck, her tongue lavishing the sweaty skin. The salty taste driving the omega mad as she dragged the flat of her tongue from the base of Miranda's shoulder up to the tip of her ear. Savoring the taste of the older woman's perspiration.

"Oh Andrea…" Miranda moaned, her head falling back against the seat behind her as Andrea's hand continued to stroke her through her pants.

Miranda sent up a plea to any deity that would listen, begging them to allow them to make it to her home before they both gave in to what they so clearly wanted.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Meanwhile, Nigel found himself standing in front of where the building stored the recordings from the elevators. He'd heard Irv, the sniveling weasel that he was, bribing the security guard to capture stills or get recordings of Andrea and Miranda from the elevator. He knew his best bet would be to destroy the recordings all together. He just hadn't figured out how to do that until he saw the extinguisher. Smiling, her grabbed it, followed directions and aimed the hose at the exposed hard drives.

Emily, who had just gotten herself under control, headed back to the security office where she'd left her purse. She walked into the room to see Irv and Nick, the security guard, arguing over how to record the scene of Miranda pressing Andrea up against the wall and kissing her. She clicked a few buttons on her phone and stepped more fully into the room.

"What is going on here?"

Irv turned and glared at Emily, "If you value your job you will—"

"Save your threats. Nick, if you let so much as a single image of that leak you will find yourself sued by Miranda, Elias-Clarke, lose your job and get arrested."

"Arrested?" Nick squeaked.

"Yes, it is illegal to record a consented mating during a person's heat."

"Consented, it wasn't consented!" Irv argued.

"Yes, it was." Emily stated and looked directly at Nick, who had been present when Andrea gave her consent. "Surely the amount of money Mr. Ravitz has offered you isn't worth prison? Is it?"

Emily knew she had Nick right where she wanted him when he looked green about the gills. He shook his head no.

"No. No it's not." The _yet_ …was clear. Challenging Irv to up his ante.

"Good. Now, delete the images. Permanently."

"Don't! Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about. I will make you rich beyond your wildest imaginings. Just get me that video! I'm so close. The pictures from the game and this together. There is no amount of swing that will save her. She will be nothing. You won't have to worry about her at all. I promise you. Now, the recording!" Irv prompted holding out his hand as if Nick could quickly provide it to him before Emily tore across the room to grab whatever flash drive Nick might give him.

Emily saw how torn Nick was, looking between her and Irv. She still readied herself to grab whatever Nick might give Irv and run, sure that she could outrun Irv at least.

Money or prison?

Prison or money?

Before Nick could decide the image on the screen, a still of Miranda pressed up against Andrea as the two women kissed, turned to static before their eyes.

"No! No! Get it back!" Irv demanded, and Nick tried to get the images back up but it was all static and then it turned to a black screen with a warning that the hard drives had been corrupted.

Emily smiled and grabbed her bag and hit the end record button on her phone. This recording would do them all well as soon as Emily gave it to Miranda to do with as she saw fit.

 **End Part Four**

* * *

 **Bingo Plot Points:**  
1) Reluctant  
2) Irv Plot  
3) Careers  
4) X gets a penis


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your continued presence! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter.

 _ **WARNING -**_ This chapter is rated Explicit/M for sexual content between two consenting adult women. It is NSFW. It also contains gender bending of a female character to an intersex character. If this makes you uncomfortable please feel free to skip this chapter.

* * *

 **Part 5**

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The door to the townhouse slammed closed, Miranda and Andrea already moving passed the foyer and towards the stairs. Their hands roamed beneath designer blouses, while lips, teeth, and tongues mapped out all available skin along their necks and shoulders before meeting each other again as if by magnetic forces.

Andrea, with Miranda's assistance, had taken off her blazer and the shirt which she'd already taken off once today. They said nothing as they found their way to Miranda's floor. At least this floor was far more sanitary and clean than the elevator floor it had been balled up on before.

Miranda's own shirt was left somewhere along the staircase, thrown over the edge of the banister by Miranda's own hands as they ascended. Andrea's hands were soft, warm, and slightly damp from sweat, much like the rest of their bodies. Confined spaces without air conditioning during a heat wave would do that to anyone, even though Miranda would like to pretend that she didn't do such pedestrian things like sweat.

There was no pretending that Andrea's hands did not slide over her sides and up towards her breasts smoother due to the slickness of their skin so perhaps sweating had its advantages.

A fumble in the hallway almost had Andrea laying face first against the rugged floor, but with the use of Miranda's own body and the sturdy wall Miranda had pushed them both sideways. They'd merely found themselves against another surface their lips finding each other in that magnetic way they'd developed in the last hour.

Once within Miranda's room they both seemed to stall when they were only a few feet from Miranda's bed, Andrea's back towards the large king bed made impeccably so that any military personnel would be impressed.

Andrea was wearing nothing save for her underwear and Miranda was only shirtless, her bar and slacks still in place.

Andrea's eyes were dark pools of black as she stared at Miranda. Andrea's lips swollen and slightly parted as she panted, trying desperately to suck in as much air as possible, her body flushed and slick and alive with energy and unbearable need.

Andrea's tongue darted out to lick her top and bottom lip as her gaze traveled over Miranda's heaving chest towards her bare stomach until they remained fixated on the visible bulge in Miranda's Bill Blass pants.

Miranda took this stall in their passion to memorize the sight of Andrea's practically naked body. Andrea was so young and the toned muscles in her stomach and legs called to an envy inside Miranda that the editor beat back as deftly and swiftly as she could. Andrea was gorgeous. She was flesh and muscle and oh so beautiful.

Miranda was unsure if this would ever come to happen again, if Andrea could ever look her in the eyes again, and she did not want to waste a second of this opportunity to not marvel at the loveliness of one Andrea Sachs.

"This…Andrea, is this, what you want?" Miranda asked, surprised by how deep her own voice had become.

Andrea blinked at Miranda's question as if she did not understand the words. Andrea stepped towards Miranda, to lessen the sudden space between them. It was only with space that Miranda seemed able, and suddenly willing to reject her.

Andrea could not stand to be rejected. Not now. Not when she was so close to having all she'd ever wanted; not when her body was in such desperate need of the release that Miranda alone could give her.

Miranda stepped away from Andrea's searching arms, knowing if the omega touched her she would be lost in her lustful haze.

"I will not do this if you have any reservations." Miranda knew it would be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do, but she could lock herself and Andrea in separate bedrooms for the next several hours, next three days if need be, and protect both their virtues.

"Please…" Andrea whispered, reaching for Miranda, this time succeeding in grasping the editor's reluctant hands. "Please, Miranda." Andrea begged as she pulled herself into Miranda's personal space and wrapped the alpha's arms around her waist. She settled herself flush against Miranda, biting her lip to keep from moaning at the sudden touch of Miranda's skin against her own.

"I need you." Andrea whined, eyes imploring Miranda to believe her, to resume. She did not know what she'd do with herself if Miranda left her to her own devices at this point.

Miranda's jaw tightened as she felt Andrea's words as clearly as she heard them. Her hands gripped Andrea's waist tightly as she fought against her own self-control and her own fears. She could easily be everything Andrea needed. She wanted to be! If only she could allow herself to believe that Andrea wished to share this experience with her above all others.

"Only you." Andrea dropped her lips to Miranda's bare shoulder and kissed the skin, eyes fluttering closed as she relished the taste that swam over her tongue. "Always you." Andrea whispered against the skin, moaning deep in her throat. " _ **Please**_ _…"_

Miranda surged forward at Andrea's confession her hands cupping Andrea's face as she ferociously attached their lips.

Andrea stumbled backwards at Miranda's onslaught, her senses once again overwhelming her. Her eyelids closed as her eyes rolled back in her head as Miranda's body pressed against her snuggly. She took the ten seconds she needed to remove her own underwear, her lips never leaving Miranda's as she kicked them off to the side, uncaring before moving back tightly into Miranda's arms.

The swipe of Miranda's tongue caused Andrea to moan, her arms sliding up and around Miranda's back, her fingers searching for the clasp of Miranda's La Perla bra. Her shaking fingers made it far more difficult than it needed to be, but she accomplished the feat and drew the straps down Miranda's arms. The garment fell to the floor as Andrea's hands moved to Miranda's pants. Better to undress Miranda while they were pressed so intimately together so the older woman didn't find a new wave of resolve to turn her away.

Andrea broke her lips away from Miranda's for only a moment before they latched onto the creamy skin of Miranda's shoulder. She placed open mouthed kisses across Miranda's clavicle, her destination the round full mounds just below. Her mouth and tongue lavished Miranda's right breast with attention, her tongue swirling around a firm darkened nipple. Her new, slight bend allowing Andrea to push down the hem of Miranda's pants and thin lace panties with the editor's assistance.

Miranda's hand threaded in Andrea's hair as she held the brunette against her breast, her mouth open in a silent moan at the sensation of Andrea suckling at the hard nub, as she stepped out of her discarded pants.

Andrea wanted to relish the moment that their naked bodies came together, savor the bare touch of her skin against Miranda's as they stood at the foot of Miranda's bed, but there was a far more pressing need in her lower belly that called for release. Her thighs slick with her own arousal as she rocked her hips towards Miranda's her mouth still securely latched upon Miranda's breast.

"Harder…" Miranda instructed, her eyes widening before they closed as Andrea's lips firmed and she drew Miranda's nipple in with more force as her hands slipped between them and her right palm wrapped around Miranda's erection and squeezed it in a secure grip. Andrea stroked down its length and back up to the head, once, twice, thrice, before simply just continuing the motion, enjoying as each stroke made Miranda hiss.

Miranda's grip in Andrea's hair was tight enough to make Andrea wince, the pain sending a trendril of pleasure down to her already overheated core.

Swirling her tongue around Miranda's nipple twice more she switched to the left, her hand still grasping Miranda's cock. The very idea of what they were doing, what was about to happen, and what she was grasping, made her legs turn to jelly as her hand fell away from the twitching shaft.

Miranda sensed Andrea's inability to remain standing for much longer as the girl practically sagged towards the floor. Andrea still moaning against her breast as the delicious grip she'd had upon Miranda's erection falling away as well.

Miranda quickly pushed three steps forward, forcing Andrea to the edge of her bed where Andrea stumbled and sat heavily upon it. For a moment Miranda just looked down into Andrea's hazed eyes, hair mussed, her swollen lips open as she breathed heavily, her bare firm breasts capitulating with each breath, and stared right back at Miranda, a smile playing across her lips.

Andrea swiftly slid her hands up from the outer part of Miranda's thighs to her hips, tugging the editor forward as she skootched back on the bed.

Miranda held Andrea's gaze as she was deftly assisted onto the bed, Andrea falling to lay upon her back as she guided Miranda down upon her till Miranda was resting both of her hands above Andrea's shoulders, balancing her weight as Andrea's legs spread and bent at the knees to accommodate her.

It took all of a few seconds for them to fall into this position, both their chests heaving. Andrea rolled her hips against Miranda's, the heat Miranda could feel from between Andrea's legs and the sudden slick wetness that coated her skin made goosebumps flare across her back.

Miranda growled as Andrea's rocking motions became faster, the urgency rearing itself once more.

"Please, Miranda. Please." Andrea begged, eyes lidded as she stared up at Miranda, her hands coming up to tangle in Miranda's white tresses as she rolled her hips. Gods had it been hours since this heat had started? It felt like an eternity of constant pulsing desperate need.

Miranda breathed in Andrea's scent and allowed herself to be surrounded by it, the tension in her body falling away as her own eyes darkened to black to match Andrea's. With a constant humming growl Miranda gave in to what she'd wanted from that first moment she'd smelled Andrea's heat in the elevator.

There was no need for lube with how Andrea's need was dripping between them to the sheets below. Still, Miranda made sure to coat her length, dragging the head between Andrea's sopping lips to the pleasure of them both.

"My god! Miranda, just…Please…please. I can't. I need you inside me!" Andrea cried, her back arched as she tried to force herself upon Miranda.

"Keep still, damn you." The deep growl stilled Andrea's movements long enough for Miranda to oblige Andrea's pleadings. She slipped inside Andrea's body inch by excruciating inch. The clench of the younger woman's walls driving her mad as she grit her teeth as Andrea mewled in pleasure and writhered beneath her. The movements and the tight glorious squeeze causing Miranda's nostrils to flare.

"Miranda….oh Miranda. Yes…yess…" Andrea sobbed, her hands slapping down upon the bed her fingers curling into the sheets below.

Gripping Andrea's outer thigh firmly, Miranda lifted it up and pressed it tightly against her hip as she positioned herself more securely between Andrea's legs. With little more than a moments thought Miranda lost herself in the bliss of being cradled inside Andrea. With a swallow to contain herself Miranda withdrew slowly before rocking forward.

Over and over again, slow and steady as she and Andrea moaned.

"Miranda. Harder, gods harder!" Andrea begged.

With bared teeth Miranda obliged. Her fingers tightened their hold on Andrea's thigh, her nails digging into the skin as she rocked her hips forward forcefully. Andrea gasped, and the sound was exhilarating. Miranda needed to hear it again. With what appeared to be practiced ease, but was just good luck, Miranda began an aggressive assail upon Andrea's wanting and welcoming body.

Her thrusts were long and rough and unrelating. Andrea was ravenous and greedily and took every thrust as she begged for more. Her body finally relishing the feeling of being filled over and over again; of being taken as hard and rough as she needed it. Her body jerked with each thrust and she moaned with each inward cant of Miranda's hips while whimpering as Miranda withdrew even knowing it would only be moments before she returned.

"Fuck me, Miranda. Yes, yes, oh gods yes, take me." Andrea's head thrashed from one side to the other as she gripped tightly to the sheets beneath her as she raised her hips to meet each of Miranda's brutal thrusts.

The pleasure built inside her, slowly as if it were a cup being filled from a sluggish tap, but each centimeter the cup was filled caused ripples to spread through Andrea's body as it continued to rise, unhurried. Andrea's body trembled as her breathing hitched and she choked in as much air as she could between her moans and whimpers that became an unending heady whine of un-articulatable pleasure. As the ripples neared the rim of the cup Andrea became more desperate. Her hands reached out for any part of Miranda's body, grasping at her with a longing for security within her arms. The precipice she was upon frightening her down to the core of her being as she felt herself tipping over the edge head first.

"Miranda, oh Miranda…" Andrea's back lifted off the bed as her toes curled and her muscles clenched into tight coils as she fell.

Slipping down as her nerves flashed and flamed with sudden pleasure, her body alight with it as it coursed through her in rapacious waves. One wave after the other, and all the while Miranda continued her assault, the sound of her growl echoing in Andrea's ears as her fingers grasped out at any part of Miranda's body they could reach. Needing her closer, needing to feel the weight of her on top of her. To feel Miranda locked with her. Her body needed it. Needed to be trapped with the older woman in a way Andrea had never experienced with any other lover. Her body ached, craved, and longed to have Miranda. To take her knot. To wear her mating mark, to be hers, to be only Miranda's. The need was too intense to ignore.

There was a distant cloud in Miranda's eyes. It was obvious she was lost to her pleasure and needs, her inhibitions gone. Andrea's body continued to tremble with her orgasm as she felt the swell of Miranda's knot against her with each of her continued thrusts. The air between them was warm and heavy as Andrea pulled on Miranda's hair so their faces were inches apart and they panted and moaned together.

"Andrea…." Miranda growled, lost in a voracious abyss where she needed more, so much more.

Andrea knew Miranda was moments away from her own orgasm and Andrea could feel another rush of pleasure growing inside herself. With her fingers still tight in Miranda's hair she tugged Miranda down for a long kiss. As they parted Andrea brought Miranda's mouth to her shoulder as she tilted her head to the side and bared her neck to the alpha. The subservient action causing Miranda to growl, the sound reverberating through them both at the obvious show of submission.

By the harried nature of Miranda's thrusts, the older woman was close, and Andrea's body was shaking with insatiable need as another orgasm crept upon her with each of Miranda's hard, long, swift, savage strokes.

"Mark me…" Andrea whispered into Miranda's ear as her mouth found the outer shell of Miranda's ear and she tugged on the lobe with her teeth.

The request to be marked drew Miranda up short, even as the older woman nuzzled at Andrea's neck, the tips of her teeth scrapping across the juncture between her neck and shoulder. It would be so easy for Miranda to bite down and draw Andrea's blood and mark her as Andrea seemed to desire. So easy so easy, and Miranda couldn't find a single reason not to give Andrea everything she wanted. Not as she continued her frenzied thrusts as Andrea's body tightened around her eager and greedy for another orgasm.

"Please…ughnh…I love you." Andrea, the siren that she was, panted into Miranda's ear. "I love you, Miranda. Oh…oh, So much. Gods so much… _yes_ …" The call of the siren was so strong, so very strong, and Miranda salivated at the idea of it, of the taste of Andrea's blood in her mouth and the knowledge that this exquisite creature, this slender, beautiful, kind, omega, would be hers. Hers alone. No one would ever have Andrea again. Andrea would be hers, forever.

"Please." Andrea's grip tightened in Miranda's hair. "Mark me."

Miranda's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she felt Andrea's body tighten around her and squeeze on and off as Andrea's body stiffened and her mouth opened in a keening wail of "Miranda….." as she came again.

The pulsating walls around her caused such a thrill to course through her that at first Miranda didn't realize that she too was cuming, until she heard Andrea's wail rise in pitch and the grip of Andrea's hands tightened in her hair as she sobbed her pleasure.

They were both so lost in their release that neither noticed when Miranda's teeth sank into Andrea's neck, too lost were they both in the bliss of the moment.

 **End Part 5**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Thank you everyone for the reviews, likes and follows. I apologize for the delay. The last month of summer went by far too quickly. But I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Chapter 7 will be posted tomorrow.

* * *

 **Part 6**

-.-.-.-.-.- **Friday, July 6th, 2007**.-.-.-.-.-.-

Andrea Sachs was notoriously not a morning person. In college Andrea had made sure all of her classes were at a decent hour, so she could sleep in. Even her year plus stint as Miranda Priestley's assistant had not aided her in her attempts to become a morning person.

It was with great distaste that Andrea tried to peek her eyes open to start a new day. Her brain was a little foggy on her whereabouts. She didn't even remember coming home from the office and falling asleep. That wasn't all together uncommon with the crazy hours she put in at Runway, that plus this insufferable heatwave and it was a wonder at all that she hadn't fallen asleep on the subway. At least the cars were air conditioned. Though, as she became more aware of her surroundings her skin was cool and…oh.

"Tss…" Andrea hissed as she twisted, her muscles protesting at the slightest movement.

Andrea blinked away the sleep dust in the corners of her eyes and looked around the softly lit room that was most certainly not her bedroom. Andrea's eyes dilated as the memories—surely they weren't memories but dreams-of what could have been and not what had actually happened.

Surely she and Miranda Priestly hadn't spent the last 36 hours fucking themselves raw. Andrea felt dizzy as she recalled the various positions, the numerous rooms and surfaces they had taken advantage of, and just how many times she had called out the editor's name in ecstasy.

"Mmmm…" Andrea's head turned slowly to the left, heart in her throat as her eyes landed on the naked back of Miranda Priestly, her boss, no, no her ex-boss' head snuggled against Andrea's stomach, a protective arm draped around her.

Andrea's mouth opened in shock as she slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from making a sound.

She peered around the room with clear undazed eyes.

Just several hours ago she and Miranda had snuck downstairs for food, which had ended with Andrea up on the kitchen island her fingers scratching at Miranda's scalp as the white haired woman was buried between her thighs showing Andrea just how talented her tongue was at something other than lashing out at employees.

Andrea shivered at the memory as a dozen others filtered past her eyes like a slideshow.

The air in the room was cool, probably thanks to the central air conditioning units and the two generators Miranda had in her backyard.

Now that the cloud of her heat had passed Andrea had to face the consequences of her actions. She knew without a doubt that she had given Miranda her consent while she was still as lucid as she could have been. But what about Miranda? Yes, it seemed as if Miranda had wanted her as much as she wanted Miranda, but now that her pheromones weren't wreaking havoc on Miranda, would the editor still want her? Would Miranda blame her?

Andrea felt her breath catch in her throat at the thought of Miranda turning her away. After everything they had gone through, after spending the last two days getting to know every last detail of Miranda's body, learning Miranda's likes and dislikes and what made her moan, or groan, or arch in pleasure. Would she be turned away now? Never to be granted that privilege again?

Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to breathe through her doubt.

Andrea recalled telling Miranda of her feelings, over and over again professing her love for Miranda during their numerous couplings. But as Andrea thought back Miranda never returned the sentiment, never professed her own love for Andrea.

Miranda had never expressly said she wanted Andrea at all. Andrea had been so swarmed with her own need that she never pieced it together that although Miranda had been adamant to get her consent, she'd never gotten Miranda's.

"Oh God…" Andrea gasped, feeling suddenly sick to her stomach. The weight of Miranda's arm across her stomach suddenly felt like a twenty-pound chain weighing her down, suffocating her.

She needed to get up. She needed to escape before Miranda woke and turned her beautiful sky blue accusatory eyes at her.

Flinching and hissing as she moved, her body aching in what should be a pleasurable reminder of her time with Miranda was now only causing her stomach to roll more forcefully. Andrea quickly lifted Miranda's arm and slipped out from beneath the older woman. The last she had seen some of her clothes was the bathroom. Memories of how they'd gone into the shower to 'clean up' had turned into another round where they just 'dirtied' themselves beneath the heavenly spray of the hot water. Andréa shook the memories away, the look in Miranda's eyes was always the same, her eyes dilated from the musk of Andrea's pheromones.

Andrea barely made it to the toilet before she threw up the little sustenance she had.

"Oh gods, what have I done?" Andrea asked the porcelain bowl, her arms tight around her stomach. "What have I done?"

"Andrea?"

Andrea twisted around to see Miranda standing in the doorway of the bathroom, hair mussed from sleep and naked body glowing with the morning sun that peaked in through the window above Andrea's head along the far wall.

Andrea wiped away the tears that had fallen as her eyes feasted on Miranda's body, at least what wasn't covered by the parted sheet, as if it were her favorite meal after a week of fasting. The last vestiges of her heat obviously still affecting her—or perhaps just her personal desire for Miranda caused it. Her eyes roved over any of the skin that peeked out from the bunched up sheet Miranda held to her. Along Miranda's skin, her thighs particularly, were the marks that Andrea had left over the last two days as she could see from here the purpling skin.

Miranda was unaccustomed to sleeping in. She had always been an early riser, it allowed for her to be as proactive as was possible. The more time she had the more she could get done. It was only on the rare occasion that she could be persuaded to sleep in past six am even on a weekend or holiday.

For the last two days for as many hours as she had spent in Andrea's embrace and enjoying the touch of the younger woman she had spent an equal amount sleeping as she and Andrea would continue until exhaustion overcame them, only to begin once again as they awoke. Such was the nature of a shared heat and rut.

Waking up unceremoniously because her pillow decided it wanted to run to the bathroom was quite bothersome, especially when she was in the middle of a wonderful dream where Andrea stood on her arm at next year's Met Gala in an exquisite shimmering De LaRenta gown.

The surprise of waking up quickly turned to concern when she looked up to catch sight of Andrea's backside disappearing into the bathroom, the door stopping just short of shutting. The sound of Andrea heaving had her standing from the bed, pulling the sheet with her as the chill in the room caused her to shiver. With bare feet she padded silently to the door and pushed it open to hear Andrea lamenting her actions.

The sound caused Miranda's chest to grow incredibly tight with the suddenness of the pain such simple words could cause.

The tears in Andrea's eyes and the way the younger woman stared up at her pleadingly had Miranda scrambling to harden herself against the coming rejection. The pain of it was already practically unbearable. She had opened herself up to Andrea in ways she had never opened up to another lover in her entire life. To realize now that the consent she had sought from the beginning meant nothing in the light of day after Andrea's heat had passed was excruciating. The whispered pleas and promises of loving her fluttered away like ghosts of the past, disappearing farther and farther from them as the seconds ticked by.

Miranda straightened, her grip upon her sheet tightening, ready for the accusations and the disgust to come pouring forth from Andrea.

"Miranda, I…" Andrea shook her head, hand covering her mouth as her eyes teared up again.

"Yes, well. I suppose this was inevitable." Miranda sniffed, unable to hold Andrea's tearful gaze.

Andrea hiccupped, "I'm so sorry. So, so sorry, Miranda. I just, this, it was, I couldn't. You couldn't. I…I'm so sorry."

Miranda would not cringe at the apology. Would not hear of how sorry Andrea was for this, for the rejection she was moments from issuing.

"It was not completely unpleasant." Hardly at all, until ten minutes ago. Until then she would have spent the rest of her life treasuring the memories of their time together. Now she would do anything in her power to forget them.

"Oh god. I, I never should have. Miranda, I…" Andrea stopped speaking as Miranda raised her hand to stop her.

"We will forget it happened." Miranda insisted quickly. "Move on. There is nothing stopping us from being adults about this. It was a biological reaction. We fulfilled each other's needs and now. Now it is done." Miranda pronounced her voice monotone as she looked just above Andrea's head.

Andrea whimpered but otherwise nodded her head, her eyes downcast as she turned away from Miranda. Without the worry of looking into Andrea's tearstained eyes Miranda dropped her gaze back onto the younger woman. Ready to steal just one last glimpse of her naked form to store away into the deep recesses of her mind.

It was as Andrea twisted her head to the side as she went to stand that Miranda caught sight of the younger woman's neck. The bruise there was not a mere hickey. It was inflamed and discolored and bore the marks of Miranda's teeth, the signs of a mating mark. Miranda gasped, her fingers squeezing the sheet tighter in reflex as if they did not tighten the sheet would fall from her grasp.

Andrea heard the sharp inhale and turned to Miranda immediately.

Miranda stalked forward, hand outstretched. Andrea tensed wondering if Miranda was going to slap her or force her to leave her house this second because she couldn't stand to look at her for another moment.

She was not expecting Miranda to grasp her chin with her thumb and middle finger and forcefully turn her head to the left. It was as Miranda made her neck stretch to the side that Andrea hissed, feeling the pain at the juncture of where her neck met her shoulder.

"What…" Andrea reached up to investigate the mark that Miranda was fascinated with. Her fingers touched the sore area, causing her to hiss with how sensitive it was.

"I…" Miranda's eyes locked with Andrea's and the horror within them had Andrea rushing towards the sink, where she leaned over the sill towards the half wall of mirrors and flipped on one of Miranda's 'make up' lights to illuminate the area on both the right and left. Twisting her neck to the side Andrea looked in an odd angle at her neck and the obvious mating mark residing there.

Andrea could not stop the sharp gasp even if she'd wanted to.

"Miranda!" Andrea pressed her fingers against the edges of the bite, flinching as she did, but tried as she might, touching the area didn't make it go away.

Looking into the mirror Andrea saw Miranda's ashen face staring at the mark and then up to meet her glare.

"I…I am. I've never. I…" Miranda stuttered, too shocked by her own actions to be able to explain them.

"You, you marked me." Andrea squeezed her eyes closed.

"Oh, Andrea. I am so incredibly sorry." Miranda whispered as she hesitantly touched Andrea's shoulder, sure the younger woman would not want or accept her touch. Not after what she'd done.

Mating marks were still widely held up in court as an unofficial declaration of marriage as by giving a mating mark while having intercourse caused a couple's scents to mingle and change. Andrea's scent would forever be tinged with Miranda's scent as she had claimed Andrea as hers with that bite and with how powerful an Alpha Miranda was, there would not be many—if any—other alphas who would ever dare consider a relationship with Andrea. The claiming bite and the scent that Andrea would reek of for the rest of her life stopping others from considering her for a partner.

Mating marks were cautioned against unless the couple planned to remain together and faithful for the rest of their lives. As even after death there would still be a lingering claim upon their skin that would turn many suitors away. It was always more difficult for the beta of a mated couple than it was for the alpha. The alpha's mixed scents would not drive away prospective suitors as much as it would for a beta. As on a biological level other alphas would know the beta was claimed and they could be prosecuted for attempting anything with the claimed beta. And Miranda supposed it would be even harder for Andrea as an omega to find another lover who wouldn't be driven away by Miranda's scent on the younger woman. It would eliminate all betas as possible mates for Andrea as no beta would ever challenge a mark given by an alpha, and certainly not a Super alpha.

Miranda was horrified. She had damned Andrea by giving in to the younger woman's pleas.

"I'm so sorry, Andrea. We will. I will contact Roger, at Presbyterian. They have conducted research in annulling a mating bites biological impacts. I will do all I can to…to fix this."

Andrea's shoulders shook with her silent cries and that tore at Miranda's heart more than anything.

Andrea felt her heart break. Miranda would do anything to fix this, to make it so she hadn't made a colossal mistake in sleeping with her, in biting her, marking her. Was she so unbearable that it was only during a heat that Miranda could fathom being with her, wanting her?

Miranda wanted to ask Andrea what she could do. But hadn't she done enough already?

"I need to, I need to make a few phone calls." Andrea intoned her voice void of any emotion at all.

"Yes, of course. The study. You can make them in there. Privacy. I should also call, the girls. Check in on the girls."

"Tell them I said hi. Or, don't. Whichever." Andrea flinched, why would Miranda want to tell the girls she was here? She wanted this entire event between them to be as if it'd never transpired.

The quickest and best way Andrea knew how to handle this was by calling her contact in the Underground. Her handler would be able to help them figure this out because as far as Andrea was concerned the less people that knew about her being an omega the better.

When it was clear that Miranda wasn't going to say anything else Andrea took her leave, borrowing the robe she'd worn around the house yesterday and slipping it on as she escaped from Miranda's bathroom and bedroom, leaving Miranda behind to stare after her and issue Andrea's sentiment from just several minutes prior: "What have I done?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Andrea sighed heavily, her body sagging with the weight released through the air leaving her lungs, as she hung up the phone. Her handler was on her way over and would be here within the next half hour.

That allowed Andrea time to think.

Too much time to think.

Memories of the last two days played within her mind's eye like a movie trailer. Snippets of scenes that all flowed together and made one tantalizing breathtaking sensual overview of the last 48 hours.

Andrea's palm rested over the mating bite on her neck, her eyes closed tightly as she fought off tears. Miranda didn't want anything to do with her. She was so quick to offer up suggestions of annulling the bite, of contacting doctors who could erase Miranda's scent from her and truly make it like the last 48 hours never happened. Miranda seemed incredibly sincere in her apologies but just as sincere in her own personal horror at having marked Andrea at all.

An omega's pheromones were known to make an Alpha do crazy things. Even Miranda was susceptible to Andrea's pleas. And it had been her. Andrea knew she had begged Miranda to mark her, to claim her, to sink her teeth into her skin and proclaim she was Miranda's.

Wars had been started over an omega's thrall over alphas and betas alike. Andrea didn't want that kind of power. Not over Miranda. Not over anyone. She didn't want people fighting for her as if she were a prize to be won and admired. And yet here Miranda was, turning her away, rejecting her as soon as the pheromones had dissipated. Andrea cringed, realizing just how powerful her pheromones could be to affect Miranda, the strongest Super Alpha Andrea had ever met, in such a way. Andrea had no right to feel rejected. Miranda had never had a choice in the matter to begin with.

"This is all my fault." Andrea whispered into the empty study, the walls helping contain her self disgust.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Mom, are you sure you're okay?" Caroline asked for the third time.

They hadn't spoken to their mother for two days. Normally they would have heard from her at least twice, maybe three times a day if she could fit it into her schedule. But the only contact they'd gotten had been one or two texts from their mother wishing them a good night and a good morning.

Then there had been the text from Emily informing them that their mother was feeling under the weather and would call them as soon as she was better. They'd texted their mother several times but had only gotten one or two texts sporadically over the last 48 hours. And now their mom sounded…bleak. Bleaker than she'd sounded when she had to tell them about the divorce from Stephen.

"I'm fine Bobbsey."

Caroline sighed but Cassidy was the one that spoke what they were both thinking. "You don't sound fine."

Miranda bit the inside of her cheek. Her daughters were too smart for their own good. "I am just…not feeling myself."

"Because you're sick?"

"Caroline."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Cassidy."

"It's not serious is it?"

"Girls…"

"You're not going to die are you?"

The twins volume rose until they were practically both screeching into the phone on their last questions, their breathing heavy as they hyperventilated at the thought of their mother dying.

"Girls! I will be fine. I am just under the weather. I am not dying. What imaginations the both of you have." Miranda tisked, smiling fondly at the sound of her children relaxing at her assertion that she would be fine.

"But it is serious." Cassidy whispered, and Miranda cringed. Leave it to her offspring to note the one question she hadn't answered.

"Yes, Bobbsey it is. But I am well." As she could be. Miranda rested her hand upon her upper thigh as she held the cellphone to her ear with the other. She cringed swiftly, the creases disappearing as she removed her hand from her thigh, her fingers having skimmed over an irritated area of her inner thigh. She stared at the area and blushed, realizing it had to be sore from when Andrea had been between her legs, her mouth latched upon her thigh as she sucked and drew her blood to the surface of her skin leaving a visible hickey.

"Does this have to do with Andy?" Caroline asked and Miranda's heart clenched at the young woman's name being brought up.

"Why, why would this have anything to do with Andrea?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Because of the papers. They're saying that you and Andy are dating."

"Are you dating?" Cassidy asked, her voice really quiet.

"Because if you are that would be really cool! Andy's great." Caroline's voice was far more assured than Cassidy's regarding the possibility of their mother dating Andy. "We really like her. And we think that she likes you."

"Caroline."

"She really, _really_ likes you and if you were dating then…"

"We could go out to see the Mets more and…"

"Do other fun things on the weekend."

"Cassidy."

"And she could stay later at night and help us with our homework…"

"And we could eat dinner together and watch movies."

"Yeah! You think she'll watch movies with us mom?"

"Girls!" Miranda hated having to raise her voice, even just this small amount, to get her children to stop their rambling and uncanny ability to finish each other's sentences.

"Sorry, mom." They chorused.

"It's just, we think it's a good idea." Cassidy offered softly.

"Andy makes you happy." Caroline added.

"Oh Caroline, Cassidy…" Miranda closed her eyes tightly against the tears that formed. She would not shed a single tear over Andrea Sachs. Not one. The young woman had made her choice. She had obviously been too overcome with her heat to mean anything that she'd said during it. Any proclamations of love and desire and any wishes she'd made (and Miranda had granted) were just induced by the hormone and chemical imbalances she was suffering from.

Now they were in a tough predicament. Miranda had given in, against all her better judgement, and she'd marked Andrea. Not that she could recall the moment when she'd done so, not with clarity at least. She had a vague recollection of it, it was more the taste of Andrea's blood in her mouth mingled with her own that she remembered most. Instinctually she must have bitten her own tongue and mixed her blood with Andrea's within the mark to cause Andrea's scent to change. A change in scent that Miranda had only picked up on after noticing the mark upon Andrea's neck. To be fair however, they had both been otherwise occupied the last two days, and it was only this morning that they both seemed capable of focusing on something other than sating their sexual needs.

The girls wanted some fairytale happy ending where Miranda and Andrea actually dated and Andrea became a part of their family. In their young minds Miranda was sure they imagined Andrea moving in with them and eventually becoming a step-parent and being flower girls or bridesmaids at the wedding. It was a future Miranda suddenly realized she could clearly see herself.

Andrea sitting at the dinner table with them for a meal or surrounded by papers as she helped Caroline with her English paper and Cassidy with her history assignment. Miranda envisioned Andrea snuggling into her as she came in late from work—yet again—and murmuring her hellos and statements of love before falling back into a content sleep upon Miranda's chest.

There were dozens of reasons to let Andrea go—the press, the scandal of her having been her assistant, Irv's vindictive vendetta against her, their careers or Andrea's lack thereof, Andrea's status as an Omega, their age difference—to allow this rejection, and yet there were just as many reasons for Miranda to fight and prove her worthiness to Andrea wrapped up in the easy fantasies of a happy domesticated couple she pulled from thin air.

"Things with Andrea are—complicated." Miranda shifted in her seat and her slacks rubbed against her thigh, irritating the area enough that she promised herself she'd take a better look at it once she hung up the phone.

"Complicated makes things interesting."

"You say that all the time."

Miranda smiled good naturedly, "Yes, I have said that in the past."

"Just, just try mom."

"Please?"

Miranda sighed heavily, "I will try, Bobbsies."

"Yes!"

"Awesome!"

"I must go. You behave for your father. I will call you again to wish you goodnight."

"Alright, bye mom. Love you."

"Bye mom!"

Miranda hung up the phone with a firm press of her finger against the disconnect button. She stared at the device for a moment in contemplation. Feeling the slight tingling burn of her thigh Miranda walked into the excessively spacious walk in closet and pulled down her slacks low as she stood in front of a full length mirror. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the mark, her breath hitching as her fingers skimmed over the inflamed area.

"Oh…" Miranda whispered as she stared at the clear indentation of teeth marks upon the area. Miranda pulled her slacks up swiftly and stumbled out of the room.

It seemed she would have to try to show Andrea that she was a worthy mate. There was little choice in the matter now.

There would be no need for Andrea to have the mark revoked in some experimental procedure. There was no reason for that at all. Miranda had claimed Andrea and Andrea had claimed her. She wanted Andrea as her mate. It was not an easy or simple decision to come to or desire to accept, but it was the truth.

Andrea had professed to wanting the same thing during her heat. Perhaps it was time Miranda learned whether or not Andrea had meant that before she started outlining a time table of when it would be appropriate for Andrea to move in with her and the girls now that they were, by rights, married.

How to do that was the true question.

Miranda made her way quietly down the stairs to her office upon the first floor. The door was slightly ajar as she neared it. She took a moment to peer inside. She could see Andrea sitting on the love seat, her head bowed as she pulled tightly at the roots of her long chestnut tresses.

Rapping her knuckles against her own study door, so as not to startle Andrea, she steeled herself for the upcoming discussion as Andrea's eyes locked with hers.

Miranda silently moved into her office and sat upon the opposite end of the loveseat. Keeping a respectable distance between them, but choosing to sit upon the loveseat rather than the armchair further away.

"How…how are the girls?" Andrea asked as she swallowed thickly, her eyes unable to look at Miranda for long.

Miranda smiled kindly at Andrea's attempt at small talk. It at least broke the stifling tension in the room. "Well. They asked after you."

"Oh?" Miranda hummed her affirmative response. "That's...I'm...did they enjoy the fireworks?"

Miranda wanted to sigh, the girls seemed to be the only safe topic of discussion between them. Yet Miranda wanted to discuss what they had done. What they were going to do. What Andrea truly felt and maybe, just maybe, share what she herself was feeling as well.

"They did."

"Good. That's…good." Andrea cringed at her lack of eloquence.

"Andrea…"

"Miranda…"

They said at the same time.

"You first." Andrea offered with a nervousness that Miranda thought she'd grown out of while around her.

"I would like to discuss our…situation. I believe that there is much to discuss and very little actually being said between the two of us. This is a rather complicated situation and I truly believe if we were to merely discuss it openly without interruption we could find a solution that works for everyone."

Andrea nodded. That sounded like a sound plan. Andrea would just need to accept that she was going to hear things that were going to hurt.

"I think that would be-"

The doorbell ringing stopped Andrea from continuing her statement of agreement. Miranda twisted to look towards the door to the study as if she could see who stood at the front door, curious at the interruption. Who in the world would that be?

"That's…let me just…" Andrea gestured towards the door and made her way out of the study and to the front door.

Miranda waited a moment before following after Andrea.

When Miranda stood in the hallway just in the foyer of her own home it was to the sight of Andrea being hugged tightly in the arms of a tall slender woman with a pixie cut of black hair with pink highlights. The sight of this unknown woman sniffing at Andrea's neck while being held in the younger woman's arms caused a painful burn to resonate in Miranda's chest.

The sound of Miranda's (unconscious) growl pulled the two women apart.

"Miranda…" Andrea smiled at Miranda for a moment before she seemed to realize what she had done and her lips thinned out into the slight frown they'd been in since this morning. "This is Alice, my New York City handler. Alice, this is Miranda."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest as she appraised Miranda from where she stood in the doorway. "So, you're the big bad Alpha that marked Andrea without her consent?" Alice asked, uncaring of who Miranda was in the world and that she was in Miranda's home.

Miranda bristled at the insult and the challenge in Alice's voice and stance. How dare this woman come into her home and accuse her of anything!

"I beg your pardon!"

"I didn't ask for it." Alice sniped back with a hard glare at Miranda.

"Alice! That's enough." Andrea hissed, knowing that if Alice and Miranda got into a fight now nothing would be resolved.

Miranda's teeth ground together as she glared at this impertinent…Miranda took a deep breath and scented the air…alpha.

"What is she doing here, Andrea?" Miranda asked, deciding to ignore the other woman all together.

"I said I was going to call her."

"Yes, but that does not explain why she is here. In my home. Accusing me of…" Miranda stopped herself, feeling her anger build up as she snapped her mouth closed and refused to voice or give a name to the accusation Alice was throwing at her so carelessly. As if Miranda would have done this if Andrea hadn't asked. As if she would have taken advantage of Andrea at all if not for the younger woman's precise consent.

Alice tilted her head at Miranda's sudden silence, a snide smirk gracing her lips, the sight of which caused Miranda to snarl.

"I needed her to come so we could figure this out."

"I was under the impression that you and I were the ones involved in this situation."

"We are."

"Then why is there a third party needed for the two of us to discuss anything?" Miranda challenged, needing to understand why Andrea would invite this despicable woman into their private business. Miranda would have preferred if Andrea had called Emily. At least Miranda could trust Emily to keep their business private. How was Miranda to trust this woman when she did not know her at all?

"I just thought…" Andrea bowed her head in the wake of Miranda's obvious disappointment.

"She needed a third party. With the mating bite she needs someone here to take what she wants into account." Alice offered up when Andrea seemed to falter.

Miranda bristled, "You think I would not?"

"I think that you don't realize the type of affect a mating bite can have on an Omega."

"And you do?" Miranda asked, her question lacking the challenging tone it might have taken on in any other instance. Her interest was raised as to what exactly her mating bite could do to Andrea and if this woman, Alice, was part of the underground that helped supply Andrea with protection and answers about her Omega status, then Miranda did not doubt she held answers to questions Miranda hadn't even thought to ask yet.

"I do." Alice confirmed.

"Very well then." Miranda looked between Alice and Andrea and swallowed the growl that wanted to be released at how close they were standing. "Should we move this discussion into the parlor?"

Alice waited for Andrea to nod before they all made their way into the parlor. Alice made sure to sit directly beside Andrea, forcing Miranda to take a seat across from them. Their proximity made her skin crawl and instincts rage against her common sense and iron clad control.

"Andrea, can I look at the bite?"

Andrea nodded and moved her hair to one side as she tilted her neck and allowed Alice to inspect the healing wound.

"While you examine her, would either of you like something to drink?"

"No." Alice answered quickly, her eyes already zoned in on the mark she needed to examine.

"A glass of ice water?" Andrea asked, her voice wavering in its uncertainty.

"Of course. Would you like any toast or perhaps tums for your stomach?" Miranda asked as she stood in the doorway of the parlor watching Alice touch Andrea's neck gently. Her nails dug into the skin of her palm at the sight as she grit her teeth and forced her instincts to remain as dormant as possible, even though they were screaming at her to claim her mate.

"Tums. Thank you, Miranda."

Miranda ignored the offered thanks, just nodded her head and stalked to the kitchen to get Andrea ice water and tums, and away from the sight of some other alpha pawing her mate.

"How long has it been since the mating bite?" Alice asked, her voice soft as she ran the pads of her fingertips around the inflamed bite.

"Uhm…48 hours. Maybe?"

"You don't remember it?" Alice asked her muscles tensing at what that could mean.

"I do. I think. I…" Andrea sighed heavily, hissing when Alice touched a sore spot. She pulled back enough so she could look into Alice's disapproving eyes. "She didn't do this to me without my consent, Alice."

Alice frowned at her, "You couldn't consent to this while in heat, Andy. You know that."

"But she doesn't. She did what I begged her to do, Alice. And it's not as if I didn't want this before the heat." Andrea blushed at the admission.

Alice shook her head, "This is a very dangerous situation. Especially because of who she is." If this relationship were to continue then Andrea would be in the public eye and she would be surrounded by media and people looking into her story. People would fight their way to get close to her, to learn everything they could, get interviews with her, be in her presence. "Your scent is completely different now. It's obvious you're not an alpha or a beta."

"I haven't been taking the suppressants for two days but they obviously weren't helping before this." Andrea almost hoped the suppressants would be able to conceal her scent. They'd been doing so for this long. Why couldn't they do so again?

"No, they shouldn't have let you go into heat to begin with. It's just something we'll have to look into. Do you have them on you?"

"Yes, they're in my purse."

"I'll take a sample of them to the lab and see what happened. It might just be that you've become immune to them now that you've been using them for so long." Alice theorized.

Andy liked that idea. It meant that they could change the dosage or give her a different form of suppressant and they would work again.

"How much does she know?"

Andrea looked towards the doorway as if expecting to see Miranda standing there. When she wasn't Andrea frowned. There was a need inside her to be near Miranda, and it didn't just start because of the mating bite, but it was harder to ignore now. "Not nearly enough." Andrea admitted.

"What do you want to tell her? Better yet, what do you want to do here Andy?" Alice met Andrea's eyes and held them. "This is a level five situation. You know that. I should have called in Marcus—"

"You can't call him. He'll make me leave." Andrea panicked. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want anyone to try and force her away from Miranda and the girls and the life she'd built here in New York. This was her home.

"Maybe it's better that you do." Alice said softly but Andrea's eyes burned into hers with disappointment.

"I'm not ready to leave. I like New York. I have a life here. I can't just get up and go!" Andrea's voice raised before she lowered it to a mere hiss so Miranda would not hear her.

Alice sighed, hating that she was too friendly with Andy to the extent that she wasn't following protocol because she knew how much it would hurt Andy to leave. "I didn't call him, for that reason. I know you want to stay. But Andy, this is dangerous. Not just for you. But for her too. Some Alphas will do anything to own an Omega. You know it. And I know it. And that's outside of what the governments and scientists will want with you."

"I know…" Andrea cringed thinking of all the horror stories she'd been fed since she was 17 years old. "Even if I leave, won't I still now always smell of her and be easier to scent as an Omega?"

"Possibly…but that's not my area of expertise. We'd have to talk to Jamie. What I do know is the closer you are to her the more your scent will change and mingle with hers. And if you were to ever mark her…" Alice stopped talking at even the suggestion of it. "Do you really want to put her, and her kids, in that type of danger?" It was a low blow, but Alice saw how reluctant Andrea was to leave. It was obvious that Andy wanted to stay and try to make this relationship work.

"I love her, Alice." Andrea whispered, closing her eyes against the tears that burned their way to the corner of her eyes.

Alice sighed heavily, "I know." That was the only reason why she hadn't come here with Marcus and an extraction team and dragged Andy away as soon as the door had been opened. Alice knew how much Andy loved Miranda and her girls. "You need to end it." Alice solemnly informed, eyes hard as she stared into Andrea's tearful gaze. "You'll end up getting her hurt and you'll never be able to live with yourself if that happens. It's better to leave now before anything else can change between you two."

Andrea nodded solemnly, her heart aching in her chest at the only option she seemed to have available to her. She couldn't let Miranda or the girls get put in the crossfire. Not for her. She'd never forgive herself if something were to happen to them because of her status.

When Miranda returned with a glass of ice water and three tums Andrea barely even looked at her. Her bottom lip trembled and she had to bite back a sob as her fingers brushed against Miranda's as she took the glass from her. The touch sent a pleasant sizzle through her body that warmed the slightly irritated bite on her neck.

"So, Alice, I assume with your role as Andrea's handler you can shed some light on a few things."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest, "What do you want to know?"

Miranda saw how stiff the young alpha became upon her conclusion. "I am not interested in trade secrets of the Underground. No, my concerns and questions relate to Andrea and what a mating bite will do to her as an Omega and to myself."

Alice relaxed, if only slightly, at the knowledge that Miranda wasn't looking for 'trade secrets'. "Well, since we're going to be bringing Andy in and neutralizing the mark, there isn't much to be concerned about."

Miranda's eyes widened, "Neutralizing?" Miranda turned to Andrea immediately. She had just spent the last ten minutes giving these women privacy to discuss whatever it was they needed to discuss while she was not in ear shot. She had not prepared herself for the actuality that their discussion would lead to Andrea wishing to neutralize their bond. At least not without discussing it with her!

Alice looked to Andy and saw the brunette couldn't even look up from the floor. "Yes, we will be leaving shortly to speak with some of our specialists."

Miranda sat forward, "Andrea, I was under the impression we were going to discuss this matter together." Her breathing hitched in her chest. She suddenly had a time limit. She knew, a part of her knew, that if she let Andrea walk out of this house with Alice she would never see the young woman again. The thought of that set her body alight with panic and an urgent need to do something.

"There's…there's nothing to discuss Miranda. We didn't know what we were doing. This really is for the best."

"The best?" Miranda croaked. Her gaze hardening as she looked from Andrea's slumped form to the stranger sitting beside her. "You…" Miranda bared her teeth.

"Let's collect your things, Andy." Alice insisted, swallowing compulsively at the power Miranda exuded as she glared at her. The focus was too much. She felt her skin tingling and the need to bow her head or eyes course through her like a continued rolling shock of electricity. It wasn't often, or ever, that Alice had met another Alpha strong enough to make her want to submit.

Miranda's gaze tore itself away from Alice, who had made it through without subjugating to Miranda—so far—to Andrea who stood quickly from her seat and kept her eyes on the walls or floor, or anywhere but Miranda.

No.

No.

This would not do.

This could not be allowed to happen.

"Andrea, please." Miranda stood up as her guests did, feeling her heart hammer against her chest.

"I'm sorry, Miranda." A single tear fell from Andrea's eyes as she looked just above Miranda's shoulder. The thought that she would be the cause of Miranda's pain, or putting Miranda and Caroline and Cassidy in danger. It was unacceptable. "I never meant for this to happen."

"But it has!" Miranda's voice raised far above Andrea's meekly whispered apology. "It has." Miranda stepped in front of Andrea's path out of the room, sneering when Alice stuck her right shoulder in between her and Andrea to keep them separated as Andrea seemed to sway towards Miranda unconsciously.

Alice knew that if Miranda and Andrea were to touch, and Miranda were to plead her case, Andrea would never leave. Her being compelled to do as Miranda asked.

"We'll be sure to take care of Andrea's mark. No need to worry about being mated to your _assistant_." It was supposed to make Miranda angry, pointing out how imbalanced the power was between them professionally. It worked.

Miranda grit her teeth as her anger rose at the gall of this woman. " _Former_ assistant." Alice's eyes widened at that bit of information, so Andrea hadn't told her everything, at least not yet.

"We need to go and you need to let us through." Alice forced herself in between Miranda and Andy a bit more as she held her ground against the Super Alpha.

"Andrea…" Miranda swallowed down the anger simmering just beneath the surface. She needed to be calm and rational about this. "Is this truly what you wish?" Miranda asked, peering around Alice's shoulder. Andrea was as wilted as a decaying flower, the petals fallen and just wished to nurture her back to the smiling woman from three days ago. Or the woman who'd laughed with her and the girls at the Met game and who had been willing to do anything in her power to make sure the photographs in the paper didn't hurt Miranda and her children.

"Yes." Andrea's voice caught on the lie, but she said it loud enough for Miranda to hear. She even had the decency to look into Miranda's eyes as she lied to her. It was only by looking into Miranda's eyes that Andrea could see the pain her one singular word had caused.

"Very well." Miranda stepped aside, allowing Alice and Andrea enough space to leave the room.

As Andrea passed, Alice tugging her along, Miranda turned her head away, unwilling to watch Andrea walk away. To leave. To choose someone else, anyone else, over her. The pain in her chest would lessen. It would lessen, with time. Miranda had hope. She had to.

Miranda tried to ignore the sounds of her daughter's voices from not an hour earlier as they echoed in her ears:

" _Andy makes you happy." Caroline added._

" _Happier_ _than_ _we've ever seen you."_

" _You smile and you laugh with her."_

" _And she smiles so bright at you when you're not looking."_

Their words now only making her chest tighten uncomfortably and her legs grow weak as she stumbled into the doorway, her back leaning against the doorjamb. She didn't want to watch. Couldn't bare to see Andrea's back as the woman walked away from her, from any chance they could have, but she found herself looking nonetheless. Her eyes slowly lifted up from the floor and tracked Andrea's progress down the hall towards the door to the townhouse.

Andrea felt like she was going to crumble into one giant mess upon the floor, never to move again. Her feet were like steel blocks, heavy and uncooperative in her attempt to keep walking, one step at a time, out of Miranda's townhouse. Alice was several feet ahead of her now, grabbing her things off the side table where Miranda must have put them when she came down, because Andrea certainly hadn't. The weight of her feet was nothing compared to the growing weight upon her chest that was making it harder and harder to breathe the further she walked away from Miranda. The mark on her neck burned incessantly as her skin developed a cold sweat.

Alice rushed back and grabbed Andrea's wrist to tug her along, noting how slow she was moving and how she seemed to be itching to turn and run back to Miranda, who stood watching them (growling at the sight of Alice touching Andrea) forlornly.

Alice opened the door and stepped through it pulling Andrea with her as if the brunette were a reluctant child.

It was as Andrea stepped through the door that Miranda looked away, her hand moving to cover her mouth as an uncontrollable whimper passed her lips.

The sound was soft and fragile and was barely capable of floating more than a few feet in distance, yet it reached Andrea's ears as if it had been screamed through a megaphone placed directly against the shell of her ear. It brought back a memory of yesterday morning, where she'd been nestled between Miranda's legs, her mouth latched onto Miranda's soft white thigh, her teeth biting into the flesh as she dabbed her bleeding tongue against the wound.

Andrea's eyes widened and her breath hitched at the memory. Her feet which weighed as much as steel dug down and her muscles tightened as she kept herself from being pulled any further.

Miranda felt like she was going to be sick. Internally her instincts raged against her to take Andrea back, to keep her mate where she belonged. But Andrea had chosen. She chose to leave. She chose to walk away. Miranda would not take her choices from her. Not as long as she could help it. Even as she herself wished her choices mattered. Her wants and desires were being completely overlooked in this instance and it made her sick.

The sound of the door closing pulled Miranda from her own misery and she dared to look at the solid oak door, except, the sight of the sturdy wood was blocked.

"Andrea…" Miranda whispered as she stared at the sight of Andrea Sachs standing against her front door, staring right back at her, her chest heaving and eyes as wild as they had been while she was in heat.

"I marked you." Andrea's voice was low, eyes clearing of any mania Miranda might have seen only a moment ago.

"Yes." Miranda tilted her chin up in defiance of her own emotions and the hope that was skittering around inside her stomach like an overeager hummingbird.

Andrea nodded her head swiftly as she absorbed the affirmation that she had in fact marked Miranda as well.

"The bond is complete." Andrea whispered her hand sliding through her hair to slick it back as she looked at the floor and the leg of the side tables, unable to meet Miranda's eyes again. Even if she were to leave now Miranda's scent would be just as affected as her own. Anyone interested in an Omega would come looking for Miranda and the girls whether she was here or hidden away with a new identity in another country.

"I think, I think I need to call Leslie." Andrea surmised.

Miranda scuffed, "You no longer work for me." Miranda crossed her arms, "I was under the impression you had other places to be."

"For me. I think, I need to see if she'll take me on as a client." Andrea tried not to flinch at the arctic touch of Miranda's words.

"You hold such little faith in your rebellious group then?" Miranda inquired, trying to seem uninterested, even as her eyes kept flicking towards the door and the operative Andrea had locked out of the house.

"I'm sure they could handle me just fine. I'm more concerned with how they'd handle your involvement now."

"Am I to assume you are now willing to talk with me about this…. _situation_ …?" Miranda waved her hand around the air in front of them.

"We have to talk now."

Miranda huffed, "Because you recall marking me?"

Andrea nodded.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "I will not keep you here if you are not interested, Andrea. I can assure you I can find someone as capable as your own band of renegades to assist me in removing your mark from my skin as easily as you wish to remove mine."

"It won't work." Andrea shook her head.

"What won't work?" Miranda was becoming exasperated, "At least try and make sense, Andrea."

"The bond is complete. Nothing can be done now." Andrea stepped away from the door and took a few tentative steps towards Miranda.

Miranda internally cringed, that was the real reason Andrea was staying now. Their bond could not be retracted. She had not chosen to stay because she wanted to. She was staying, looking to work with Leslie, because there was no other choice for them now. Nausea returned full force and made Miranda green around the gills.

"I am a very powerful woman Andrea with endless connections. If I want this mark removed. It will be removed." Miranda intoned firmly, glaring at the presumption of Andrea that she could not get what was asked of her. Even if it wasn't something she wanted. If Andrea wanted to be assured she was not connected to Miranda, Miranda would ensure she was not.

"Do you want it removed?" Andrea meekly asked, her forward motion halting.

Miranda rolled her eyes, they were going around in circles. "I do not see what my desires have to do with any of this." when it had been made so very clear not a few minutes ago that her own wishes did not matter. Not to Andrea and not to her renegade band of radicals.

"Just, Miranda, please." Andrea begged, eyes pleading as her heart rested squarely in her throat. "Do you want our bond revoked?"

Miranda sniffed, looking away from Andrea's big brown eyes making the woman look like an impossibly endearing puppy.

"Miranda." Andrea pushed, and it seemed it was all Miranda needed before she gave in.

Miranda's teeth ground together as she admitted, "No. I do not."

Andrea felt the weight that had been weighing her down since this morning slide off her shoulders, disappearing as she crossed the last half dozen steps to stand directly in front of Miranda. Andrea saw Miranda stiffen, but the editor did not pull away as Andrea's hand came to touch her arm. The simple touch causing an incredible warmth to spread through them both.

Andrea sighed at the contact as she stepped closer to Miranda, pressing against her as she dipped her head to rest her cheek upon Miranda's shoulder, so she could stare at the bare neck of her mate. Miranda remained rigid in Andrea's arms, even as her nostrils flared at their mingled scents.

"You smell like me." Andrea commented with a blinding smile as she nestled against Miranda trying to help the older woman relax.

Miranda's arms hesitantly lifted up to rest her hands upon Andrea's hips. "Andrea…" She warned, "…do not…" Miranda's threat, or was it a plea, wavered as she allowed herself to revel in the feel of Andrea's body against her own and their mingled scents surrounding them. The scent of which grew stronger and seemed to morph the longer they remained in each other's arms.

"I wanted you. Only you. Long before my heat." Andrea confessed, her fingers rising up between them so she could twirl a short tuff of white hair that hung low at the back of Miranda's neck. "I fell in love with you while helping the girls with their homework and watching how capable and passionate and powerful you are at the office, but also how incredibly gentle and encouraging you were with Caroline and Cassidy, with me." Andrea whispered. "I wanted you before the elevator. I've dreamed of you for so long…"

"Andrea…." Miranda gasped, her eyes fluttering closed at Andrea's gentle ministrations and the softness of her confession. The sincerity of her words startling Miranda even as they relieved her of her worry, her shoulders and muscles finally going lax in relief.

"I told you I loved you. Over and over again. But you…you never." Andrea swallowed as a moment of uncertainty filled her.

"I do." Miranda assured, turning swiftly to place her lips against Andrea's forehead as her hand slipped into her hair and held the younger woman against her tightly, never willing to let her go again. "I do, love you."

Andrea smiled, sniffling back tears. "Good." Andrea smiled as she pressed a kiss to Miranda's neck. "Because, we have a lot to talk about."

 **End Part 6**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** As promised. Please find Part 7. :-D I hope you enjoy this chapter. Far less angst than the last one. I promise.

* * *

 **Part 7**

-.-.-.-.-.- **Friday, July 6th, 2007**.-.-.-.-.-.-

Leslie Wilson put down her cup of coffee before she'd taken a sip so she could pull her cell phone away from her ear and stare at it.

"Let me get this straight. You want to change the articles we already commissioned and have set to be released on Monday because…you both realized you're in love and mated over the weekend?" Leslie pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yes." Miranda responded, her tone firm and left little to no room for further questions or comments.

"Well, I guess we'll be needing those other articles sooner than I thought." She mentioned with a shake of her head. "I'll send you the back ups I had."

"You were already prepared for this?" Andrea asked from the line, reminding Leslie that it wasn't merely Miranda Priestly that she was speaking to.

Leslie scuffed, insulted, "Of course I did. Did you really think I bought the whole friend bit you tried to stuff down my throat?"

"I suppose she did come off a little strong." Miranda teased, actually teased. The sound of it made Leslie shiver in dismay for what this young woman was already doing to Miranda's personality.

"Yes, a little too strong." Leslie confirmed with a grin.

"Okay…." Andrea practically whined at the tag team teasing.

"There is another matter that we need to discuss as well." Miranda intoned.

"The fact that Andy isn't an alpha, I assume." Leslie could practically hear Andrea cringing on the other end of the phone.

Miranda answered, "Correct."

"So, my dear. What were you taking? They weren't illegal uppers were they?" Leslie asked, hoping the woman wasn't stupid enough to buy the illegal drugs that changed a beta's scent to an alphas. They were outlawed nearly forty years ago due to the defects in offspring they caused.

"This won't get out until we're ready, right?" Andrea asked, her nervousness seeping in through the phone. She was probably biting her nails as well. The muffled sound of a hand being tapped made Leslie smirk, she was still the best when it came to reading people. No wonder the Feds were always after her to join their Behavioral Analyst team.

"If it does, you'll know it was me and I can lose just about everything I've spent my life building."

"I want your word that this won't go anywhere until we're ready." Andrea insisted, her tone deepening as she put forth her demand.

Leslie grinned, she really did like Andy and could see why Miranda did as well. "You have my word that whatever you're about to tell me goes nowhere until you're ready." Leslie lifted her cup of coffee to her lips and indulged in that first glorious sip.

Miranda, it seemed, was the one breaking the news again as her haughty voice filled the air, "Andrea is the first recorded Omega in 167 years."

Leslie spit out what remained of her coffee and found herself choking, the phone resting upon the counter as she hit her own chest to get the coughing to stop.

"Do get control of yourself, Leslie."

It took a few more minutes, of which Leslie cleaned up the counter and her phone. "You're lying. You must be lying."

"I can assure you, we are not." Miranda's patience was getting thin.

"How has she...how have you kept this a secret for so long? Who's protecting you?" Leslie asked, knowing there was no way a girl from the Mid-West and a middle class family had been able to hide this from the world for so long on her own.

"Andrea is a member of the Underground. They have been supplying her with suppressants, legal suppressants, that change her scent and had kept her from going into heat all these years."

"Until now..." Leslie muttered, her head racing with what they were going to need to do in order to protect Andrea.

"Until now." Miranda confirmed.

"Why not speak with the Underground?"

Miranda growled, "They wish for Andrea to disappear. However, that would pose a great danger to everyone involved, including my girls. As it appears because we...claimed each other...my scent is going to begin changing, mixing with Andrea's natural scent-"

"And you'll be linked with an Omega, whether she's here or not." Leslie finished the thought, rubbing her temples. "This is going to be...I don't even know where to start. I mean, is there someone from the Underground willing to work with me on this? I'd need a crash course in all things Omega and fast. If the rumors and histories are true your scents, the longer you're around each other, will start to bleed together and become stronger and stronger on each other. Then there's the other... _qualities_ that could begin the longer you're together."

"Qualities? You'll have to be more specific Leslie, I'm afraid I know very little about Omega's."

"Well, you know…" Leslie wished Andrea would pick up from where she was leaving off, but it seemed the young woman was going to let her hang out to dry a bit. "...the other, _gifts_. The connections." When Andrea continued her silence Leslie sighed heavily, "The practically supernatural abilities."

Andrea jumped in, finally at that, "Those haven't been recorded in almost 200 years."

"Well yes, and an Omega hasn't been verified in nearly that amount of time as well. So, you can see where I might have my concerns or questions." Leslie pointed out.

"What supernatural abilities is she talking about, Andrea?" Miranda inquired, eyebrow raised.

"It's not...supernatural. It's just...it's rumored that when an Omega mates with an Alpha they can sometimes sense each other. Read each other's moods and predict their actions. But really, any good profiler can do the same so really it's just…" Andrea ran her hand through her hair and released a heavy sigh. "It may be possible. We may be more empathetic to each other's moods and influenced by what the other is feeling or thinking on a particular subject."

"How...fascinating." Miranda drawled, knowing she and Andrea were going to have to have a much longer talk about the effects of their mating when they were alone.

Andrea, using her natural Miranda intuition, knew to change the subject, and fast. "There may be someone from the Underground willing to speak with you."

"Great. I'll need their number and to talk to them as soon as we hang up. You're also going to have to pull in a lawyer for this. Get a mating contract signed immediately. You want this story and mating agreed upon so no one can break it apart. I'm going to work on issuing those articles about your relationship. I assume Andrea has already quit?"

"Yes, she gave in her resignation to Nigel before any of this."

Leslie grabbed a pad and pen and started jotting things down with dates or question marks next to them. "Good. We'll need that. Did he send in the paperwork for it already?"

"I'll...let me text him." Andrea offered pulling out her cell immediately.

"Miranda, you're not going to like this. But we may need to use the girls and their relationship with Andrea."

"No. We can do this without the girls." Andrea insisted in the best imitation of an alpha's command as Leslie had heard from a non-alpha. No wonder this girl had been able to pass as an alpha for so long. She certainly had the gumption for it.

"Alright then, Andrea, we're going to need a new interview about how you fell in love with Miranda while working for her but how nothing untoward happened until you quit. It'll help that Miranda wasn't in charge of your promotions or raises for the last several months." Leslie ticked off several other variables on her impromptu spreadsheet. "Miranda, we're going to have to get some of the board in on this."

"Yes, I will be making personal phone calls to many of them as soon as Andrea and I have signed the papers from Michael."

"Oh good, you already have him writing up the mating consent documents?"

"Yes." Andrea answered, sounding perturbed about something, but Leslie couldn't tell and didn't care so long as it wouldn't impact their new strategy.

"Get medical power of attorney for each other as well as a domestic partnership agreement signed within the day. You'll need civil protections as a couple filed and on record before this hits the press."

Miranda nodded immediately, accepting Leslie's counsel without question. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought the same things. "Understood."

"Is that necessary?" Andrea asked, her voice suddenly meek and uncertain.

"If you want to come out as an Omega, you'll need civil protections. Miranda will need to be able to make decisions for you medically and legally. You need to be recognized as a couple, by the State, as soon as possible. I'd even suggest an official on paper marriage."

"That is...we're not ready for that!" Andrea sounded scandalized even as it made sense. Their lives were going to change incredibly fast. Perhaps even too fast, but they had no choice now. They lost the chance to have a slow budding romance with each other when their teeth sank into each other's skin and they mingled their blood together.

"Honey, you're already married in the eyes of society with those mating marks. Might as well make it legal."

"We will discuss it." Miranda offered, whispering something to Andrea to calm the younger woman down.

"Good. Andy, you'll need to move in with Miranda immediately and end the lease you have anywhere else. You have to tie yourself to Miranda as quickly as possible so no untoward government agency thinks it can scoop you up without facing the full brunt of Miranda's ire and substantial power and connections. I would also suggest getting your Underground friends to find a security firm they can trust to protect you four until this all blows over."

Miranda's voice was tense, most definitely at the mention of needing security for the 'four of them'. "Is there anything else you feel we should do immediately?"

"Yes, get someone from the Underground to call me so I know what we're dealing with and what they're willing to offer to help you through this."

"I'll have them call you as soon as we hang up." Andrea promised.

"Good. And just in case no one has said it yet. _Congratulations_. I'm glad the two of you stopped pretending like you weren't perfect for each other."

Andrea chuckled, "Thank you, Leslie."

Miranda's voice softened, at least some of the tension leaving her, "Yes, thank you Leslie."

"You're welcome. Now, let me get to work and earn this big fat paycheck Miranda's going to cut me."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Miranda grumbled while Andrea grinned as the line went dead and it was just the two of them.

They had let Alice remain in the townhouse when she'd insisted she wasn't leaving so she would either be on the porch or inside. Miranda had half a mind to let the woman stay outside in the sweltering heat, but one look at Andrea's imploring face and she'd unlocked the door and walked away.

As soon as Alice was back in the house Andrea made it clear she wasn't leaving. That the new plan had to work around her staying with Miranda as they had both marked each other. The gasp from the multi-color haired alpha hadn't shocked Miranda. But the urgency in which Alice had been making phone calls since learning of this had.

"Do you think you're rainbow haired friend has finished her phone calls?" Miranda asked flipintly.

Andrea grinned and shook her head, "Would you like me to check?"

"If you must…" Miranda looked away from Andrea, though the gentle touch of her hand upon Andrea's arm remained. It had been very difficult for either of them to be physically apart since Andrea had rested so comfortably into Miranda's embrace in the hallway.

Andrea smiled softly and stepped back into Miranda's personal space, their noses rubbing together for a moment before Andrea stole a soft kiss. "I'll call Emily and have her come here. We'll need her help corralling everyone as I don't think it would be appropriate for me to be making some of these calls." Not anymore. Which made her feel useless. This was what she was good at. Taking care of Miranda's every need. She was good at this, the best even, and it bothered her that she needed to step away for now.

"Yes, you're right. But _I_ will call Emily. Go speak with your rebel friend."

Andrea nodded and walked to the door of Miranda's office. Miranda's hand had slid down her arm until she couldn't touch her any longer and fell to her waist. Looking over her shoulder, Andrea saw how tense Miranda was and bit the inside of her lip. "I am sorry about all of this, Miranda."

Miranda blinked away her thoughts at the sound of Andrea's apology. She turned to stare at the younger woman who was suddenly as uncertain as a newborn colt.

"I am not." Miranda watched Andrea's eyes widen at her pronouncement. "I would, perhaps, change certain chains of events but I will not be sorry for this as a whole, Andrea. This is, _you are_ , what and who I want in my life. You and the girls. You make things brighter, better." Miranda licked suddenly dry lips as she made her way to stand in front of Andrea. "You bring happiness into this townhouse just by being here." She lifted Andrea's hands up to her lips and placed two kisses against one index finger knuckle and then the other.

"I am sorry I was not able to pursue you as you deserve to be pursued. But we will have many years to make up for that." The promise in Miranda's voice alone brought tears to Andrea's eyes. "Whatever we need to do to protect you and our family, we will do it." Miranda wiped away the tears that fell from Andrea's eyes with the pad of her thumb as she cupped the younger woman's cheek against her right palm.

"You're such a softie, it's adorable." Andrea whispered as her tears finally stopped and she laughed at her own embarrassment.

"Mm...well, don't tell anyone. They might just lock you up for thinking such crazy impossibilities." Andrea chuckled again and smiled as Miranda kissed her quiet. "Now, off with you. We have phone calls to make."

"Yes, Miranda." Andrea intoned, her voice far sultrier than it ever had been when she'd said such things in the office.

Miranda pretended the voice did nothing to her, even as her skin crawled with goosebumps. They had a lot to get done and a very short amount of time to do so.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Ah, Emily. Come in." Michael Costa, Miranda's lawyer, greeted the redhead and ushered her inside.

"Michael." Emily nodded in greeting, taking a moment to pull at the collar of her shirt to air out some of the heat that lingered against her skin. The air of the townhouse was blissfully cool. Emily was sure that Miranda hadn't even suffered while the rest of the city melted during the 36 hour blackout that had thankfully come to an end.

"Miranda is in her office on the second floor." Michael pointed to the stairs. "I'll be down here in the sitting room. Do shout if you need me." Michael brought Emily to the stairs and then kept walking into the sitting room where Emily could see he had two laptops open and papers spread out across the coffee table.

Emily took him at his word that she could ascend the stairs. In the three years she'd worked for Miranda she'd never gone so far into the house and her heart raced with uncertainty as she climbed the rugged steps.

"Oh. Em, you're here. Great. Miranda is in her office. I'll show you." Andrea stood from the couch she was sitting on huddled over her own computer with a woman Emily had never met before, and she would recall if she had due to the bright pink highlights in her otherwise raven black hair.

"Andy, thank heavens. _**What**_ is going on?!" Emily asked in a harsh whisper as they walked down a hallway. It wasn't every day that Miranda called and asked her to come to the townhouse over a holiday weekend. Especially not after the last time they'd seen each other and Miranda had been protecting Andrea from all unwanted attention after the brunette had gone into heat.

"Are you alright? The last I saw of you, you were in...well you know, and you, you smelled…" Emily's eyes blinked rapidly at the memory of just how delicious Andrea had smelled. Taking a deep breath now Emily's eyes fluttered again and she stopped her forward motion. Andrea smelled delicious, still. But she also smelled like alpha, a Super Alpha, Miranda Priestly, to be exact. Their scent was mingling in a way that made it impossible for Emily not to recognize that Andrea wasn't the alpha she'd claimed to be all this time, but she wasn't exactly a beta either.

"What _are_ you…?" Emily found herself asking as she brought her hand up to her mouth, ashamed that she'd been so careless and blunt as to ask such a taboo question of someone that wasn't her lover.

Andrea grinned, and sniffed at her own collar, "Is it that noticeable?"

"Yes!"

"What does she smell like." Emily twisted around, shocked at the sound of an unknown voice coming from behind them. She eyed the newcomer with distrust.

"It's alright, Em. Alice is a friend. She's helping with all of this." Andrea explained, but Emily still gave the raven haired woman a withering glare.

Turning to Andrea, Emily answered the other woman's question. "You smell nothing like yourself anymore. At least not as you used to smell before your uhhhmm…" She would not say heat. This alone was embarrassing enough. Her neck was turning beet red the more she spoke about this. "There's a new scent mixed with Miranda's. Miranda's is very potent almost overpowering. It will certainly drive away any unwanted attentions. But the softer scent is, is, well, alluring." Emily admitted, blushing at such an admission. She was mated and yet she still found herself swaying slightly at the aroma of Andrea's new scent.

"Good to know. Thanks." Alice gave Andrea a long look before she walked back down the hallway towards where they had been sitting.

"Who is that?" Emily asked when she could no longer see Alice.

"Alice, she's my...handler."

"Handler?" Emily reached out and touched Andrea's wrist, concerned. "Andrea, are you in some kind of trouble?"

"You could say that." Andrea admitted with a grimace.

Emily's eyes widened, she'd only been kidding, or at least half kidding. She hadn't realized that Andrea was in some actual kind of trouble. Andrea opened Miranda's office door after knocking on it twice and gestured for Emily to go in first.

"Miranda, Emily is here." Andrea announced as she stepped into the room after Emily and closed the door.

"Have you had a chance to talk to her about our situation, Andrea?"

"Not yet. I thought you might want to...with me?" Andrea hedged, while Emily looked between the two women with a slightly ajar mouth.

"Mm...very well." Miranda took off her glasses and placed them on the desk as she leaned back in her chair. "Emily, thank you for coming on your day off. Please, have a seat." Miranda gestured to the chairs in front of her rather large and imposing wooden desk.

The office itself was decorated with family photos of Miranda and the girls at varying ages, there were some lovely paintings (originals if Emily had to guess), and the warm tones of the room made it feel far more relaxing than Miranda's professional office at Runway.

Emily noticed that Andrea took the seat next to her but actually twisted it to face away from Miranda's desk so she could more easily look at Emily. When Miranda said nothing of Andrea's impedance, Emily realized a lot had changed in the last 72 hours. Then again, Andrea's smell alone was a blaring warning sign that nothing was going to be the same as it had been 72 hours ago.

"Before you explain what's happened. There is something I need to inform you of, the both of you." Emily pulled her bag onto her lap and pulled out a USB which had a copy of the recording of Irv's threats and bribe to Nicholas. "The event on...well...while you were in the elevator, Irv was attempting to bribe the security guard to get a copy of the security footage. I have it all here on tape. The bribe and the threats and why he wanted them even after knowing it was images of a consented mating." Emily leaned forward and handed Miranda the USB drive when she opened her hand for it, but said nothing.

Miranda stared at the usb in her hand and asked, "Was he able to get any of the footage?"

"No, there was data corruption. The footage was lost." Thanks to Nigel's intervention, but she left that part out. The less people who knew about Nigel's destruction of Elias-Clarke property the better.

Andrea relaxed at that news, and Emily was surprised to see that Miranda's shoulders loosened in relief as well. Then again Emily couldn't imagine how she would feel if someone had taped her during heat and then showed it to the world.

"Thank you, Emily. For bringing this to my attention. And for the recording." Miranda's voice held in it the promise of destruction, her eyes glazed over with the hatred she felt for Irv.

"You're...you're welcome, Miranda."

Andrea waited several minutes, allowing Miranda a chance to calm down, before she cleared her throat, drawing Miranda and Emily's attention to her. With a single eyebrow raise, Miranda's face smoothed out and she nodded almost in-perceptually.

"As you may have realized, Andrea and I have...joined." Miranda only cringed minutely at the terminology.

"Yes. Your smells have altered." Emily blushed at the admission.

Miranda cleared her throat, trying not to wonder what her new scent smelled like. "Andrea and I will be working with the Underground and Leslie's PR team in order to handle our current situation. I...we…" Miranda met Andrea's eyes for a moment and received a nod, it was a 'we' now. "...will need your help."

"Of course. Anything." Emily quickly assured, hardly able to take her eyes off of Miranda.

"Leslie will fill you in on what our media strategy is going to look like. Since Andrea has tendered her resignation she cannot, of course, be involved with many of the minute details, and as I have not yet hired a replacement for that horrific blonde, a great many things will be falling on your shoulders." Miranda hedged, for the first time giving an employee the option to back out. This wasn't Emily's job anymore. She was asking a favor of the redhead and she wished to make that as clear as possible. "You may choose to decline."

Emily rolled her eyes and scuffed, before straightening out when she saw Miranda raise a curious eyebrow. "I won't let you down, Miranda."

Miranda hid a smile as she nodded her head once. No, no Miranda knew she would not.

"Em, this isn't as simple has helping with a PR campaign. There are things you'll need to know. I'm not an alpha…"

"No, you of course had to go and be some kind of golden era omega, didn't you?" Emily questioned, pulling her eyes away from Miranda for the first time since entering the room to stare at Andrea. "Oh, don't look shocked. I was there when you exited the elevator. I was affected by your pheromones." Emily and Andrea both stiffened at the subvocal growl that emanated from Miranda's throat. Emily quickly turned to Miranda and bowed her head in submission to calm the alpha's need to claim what was hers. The mating was new and Emily understood how possessive an alpha could be of their new mate, the Brit could only imagine how protective and possessive Miranda would be over Andrea, with the knowledge that Andrea was an omega. "It wasn't all that hard to figure out. I suspected those pills you popped every day at the same time just made it seem like you were an alpha."

"You're right. They did help. They were supposed to keep me from going into heat but I've been on them since I was 17, it seems I became immune to them without realizing it."

Emily hummed, accepting Andrea's answer. "That girl outside, with the pink hair. She's part of the Underground?"

"Yes. They've been helping me since I presented as an omega."

"Very well. I will find out all I can from her and work with Leslie and her team to manage the media storm that will follow the announcement of your...joining. I assume I will be reaching out to board members and higher stakeholders with the news?"

"Yes, Leslie will have something drafted shorty for you to read off of when you call. I will be making many of the board member calls myself. After I send this…" Miranda held up the recording Emily had provided, "...to a Lieutenant Benson in SVU."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Miranda's head swiveled around when she heard something heavy being put down upon her desk.

"You need to eat." Andrea informed as she put a serving tray down on the edge of Miranda's desk. It held two chilled bottles of water, two steaming cups of coffee, and two plates filled with cheeses, meats and an assortment of vegetables and two dipping spreads. "Both of you." Andrea amended when she saw Emily still typing away upon her laptop.

It had been almost four hours since Emily and Miranda ensconced themselves in Miranda's office to make phone calls. Andrea had taken the momentary lull in their voices to bring in the food she and Cara had prepared for them. Alice and Andrea had already eaten.

"There is much to do, Andrea." Miranda chided, as if Andrea was doing something wrong by bringing in food and forcing them to take a break.

Andrea was nonplussed. "Yes, there is, and you'll be no good to anyone if you don't eat and stay hydrated and caffeinated." Andrea gave both women a stern glare.

Emily gave in first, surprising both Miranda and Andrea. She picked up the plate with cheeses and meats and one of the cups of coffee before going to sit back down in her corner, thanking Andrea as she went. That left Miranda to sit alone under Andrea's piercing brown eyes.

Miranda sighed, "Very well." She took up the plate and coffee.

"Great." Andrea hated that she could not help Emily and Miranda with their tasks. Leslie had made it clear Andrea could have no further contact as Miranda's assistant with anyone. That left Emily and Miranda fielding calls and emails while Andrea helped Alice and Leslie perfect the announcement of her relationship with Miranda.

Putting the bottles of water down in front of each of them as well, Andrea picked up the tray and left the study, sighing heavily once the door had closed. She'd been worried how Miranda would react to Andrea giving her orders, even if it was as simple an order as taking time to eat and drink.

It had been a tests of sorts. To see just how Miranda would act when Andrea was the one leading and Miranda had to follow. It had gone well. Miranda hadn't put up much of a fight and had even acquiesced faster than Andrea thought she would. Hopefully this was how smoothly their relationship would transition, rather than it be the outlier.

Time would tell.

 **End Part 7**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note** : Thanks to all who have been reading this story. I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter. It's the last main chapter before the Epilogue. Thanks for sticking around for the ride!

* * *

 **Part 8**

'Family'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I may have solved one problem." Andrea offered from her seat upon the couch in Miranda's office. She had relocated to the office with Miranda when Emily had left for the night after the detectives from the SVU department had come, taken her statement and the recording, and left. Emily had promised to return first thing tomorrow morning but Miranda had waved her off. They had done almost all they could do.

Now it was time to wait.

They had called all the appropriate board members and shareholders to inform them of Andrea's resignation and Miranda and Andrea's new status as a mated couple. The issue of their relationship was set to go to print tomorrow for the early Sunday release. Andrea had already called her parents.

Miranda had thankfully been busy at the time of the call. It had not gone well, and it was during that call that both Miranda and Andrea realized their bond had cemented when Miranda, two floors away, could feel Andrea's growing despair as her parents berated her for allowing their mating to happen.

It had not been uncommon for alphas or betas mated to omegas to be able to feel their emotions, especially when they were extreme. It seemed this capability was one Miranda and Andrea now shared, as Miranda had been compelled to attend to Andrea immediately, her instincts insisting she protect and comfort her Andrea.

When Andrea explained what had made her so upset Miranda had been forced to promise to let Andrea work with her parents to make this better, to not interfere. And she'd made the promise, even as her entire being was begging her to take action. She would allow Andrea to handle her own battles, knowing the woman was more than capable. She just feared for Andrea as she also knew how fragile and vulnerable her lover could be when it came to her own person. It was a completely different story when one thought of someone Andrea cared for. She was strong and persistent and unstoppable. If only she could be that way when it was time to defend herself.

With Andrea's parents out of the way the news was free to inform the rest of the world about their joining.

Miranda was already scheduled to be out of work until Monday, July 16th as the girls were coming home on Sunday and Miranda planned to spend the week with them. Now that Andrea had resigned Miranda thought it would be best if she, Andrea, and the girls went on vacation together to escape the worst of the media swarm. She had yet to bring it up to Andrea though.

Perhaps they would swing by Andrea's parents home so they could all get to know one another before going to a tropical island with crystal clear beaches and nothing to do but laze about on the beach and enjoy each other's company. The girls had shown an interest in snorkeling and Miranda was no longer completely opposed to the idea thanks to Andrea's own input during that conversation.

Miranda had only come to truly realize that Andrea had been a fixture in this house, in her life and the lives of her children, for far longer than she'd given Andrea credit for. There were dozens of conversations they had, with and without the girls, all here in this very house. Miranda knew off the top of her head that Andrea hated anything with pineapple in it because it was too tart for her, but she loved anything mixed with strawberries and bananas. She'd rather a banana daqari to a pina colada any day. Andrea also leaned more liberal but had some conservative views on certain subjects. Miranda also knew that Andrea was one of three children, the youngest, and she even went so far as to call herself a midlife crisis baby, as her brother who was closet in age to her was ten years older. If Miranda tried she might even be able to recall the names of Andrea's nieces and nephews.

There was a great deal about Andrea that Miranda knew, but there was so much more that she wanted to learn.

"Mmm...and what problem would that be?" Miranda asked from where she sat at her desk, glasses perched on the tip of her nose, and eyes trained on the computer screen in front of her.

"You need a competent assistant. I already interviewed several this week. One of them is acceptable for second assistant, not first. At least not right off the bat. Though I do have a prior candidate that is more than acceptable for first assistant."

"And who might that be?" Miranda looked away from her computer to stare across the room at Andrea as she lounged comfortably upon the couch, her back pressed into the corner of it while her legs stretched out at an angle and her feet rested on the ottoman. It caused a warm feeling within her chest to see how comfortable Andrea was here, with her, in their home.

"Josephine Joyner." Andrea bit the inside of her lip as she watched Miranda attempt to recall the name.

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"You interviewed her about seven weeks ago. She goes by Joey."

Miranda's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed as she immediately recalled who Andrea was speaking of at the mention of the woman's nickname. "Absolutely not."

Andrea sighed heavily, "Miranda…."

"No." Miranda put her glasses back on properly and turned back to the computer effectively ending the conversation. Or at least trying to. Andrea had other thoughts on the matter.

"Miranda, listen. You need someone competent. She's competent. She has a background in fashion and working for senior level executives, multiple of them."

Miranda seemed to be ignoring Andrea as she continued to respond to an email, but the way her muscles continued to tighten as Andrea kept speaking proved she was hearing every word.

"I don't understand why you didn't hire her in the first place. She has a tough skin. She'd last, I'm telling you she would!"

The vessel in Miranda's jaw ticked as she glared angrily at her computer as if it was what was causing her blood to boil beneath her skin. "We are not discussing this."

"This will help you. I just, Miranda, I just want to help clean up the mess I've made." Andrea stood from the couch and made her way over to Miranda's desk, sitting on the corner of it, facing the editor. "Please, will you let me?" Andrea put her hand on Miranda's shoulder and squeezed it, concerned with how tense Miranda had become.

Miranda's mind was at war with itself. She wanted nothing more than to please her mate, to give Andrea everything she could ever want or ask for, but she would be damned if she let that woman anywhere near Andrea.

"Talk to me…" Andrea implored.

"She was attracted to you." Miranda said through grit teeth, her voice sounding as if she was pained just by saying those five words.

Andrea's eyes widened, "That's…I mean...Miranda, you didn't hire her because she was attracted to me!?"

"Of course I didn't hire her because she was attracted to you! If she had been given the chance to sit across from you every day all day, she would have wormed her way into your ridiculously gullible heart, and I could not have that. I could not watch her eyes appraise you like some kind of prize or listen to her flirt with you and smell her arousal for you."

Andrea felt like she was in some kind of twilight zone. They hadn't discussed how long they had been attracted to each other or rather, in love, with each other. But this...this had been nearly two months ago. Miranda had let her own personal feelings of jealousy dictate who she'd hired. It was as endearing as it was frustrating.

"Miranda, I've been in love with you for months! I didn't once look at Joey that way. I wouldn't have fallen into her arms. I was too busy pinning away for yours." Andrea admitted with a soft smile. "I'm sorry you felt that way about Joey. But...there's no reason not to hire her now. I'm not going to be at Runway anymore. I'm going to be here…" Andrea pushed Miranda's chair back enough so that she could drape herself across the arms of the chair and Miranda's lap. "I don't want to be with anyone else." Andrea nuzzled herself against Miranda's neck, inhaling her scent as her own helped calm Miranda's fried nerves. "You can't get rid of me now. I'll never look at anyone the way I look at you. I'll never want anyone the way I want and crave you. I'm yours."

Miranda's whole body relaxed at Andrea's declaration. Her eyes closed on their own accord as she breathed in Andrea's scent and reveled in how Andrea nuzzled against her neck.

After several long minutes of just relaxing with Andrea Miranda opened her eyes and stared at the mating mark upon Andrea's neck. The area was less inflamed then it had been this morning, but it still was swollen and noticeable. One day soon it would not be, it would scar, only slightly, and be a reminder of the night in which it had been given. It was the scent that attached itself to Andrea that would remain most noticeable and keep people like Josephine Joyner, far _**far**_ away from her Andrea.

"I will send an email to HR, tell them to find her and hire her for the first assistant position." Miranda was nearly blinded by the smile that spread across Andrea's face.

"Thank you. You won't be disappointed." Andrea promised, daring to drop her head down to steal a languid kiss from her mate.

On to the next issue that they had to solve.

"Now we just have to call the girls and tell them everything before the news does." Andrea looked ashen at the very idea of it. What if the girls weren't happy about Andrea's change in relationship with their mother? What would that mean for them?

Miranda felt Andrea's worry as if it were a weight resting upon her own heart. She idly sifted her fingers through Andrea's hair, "Darling, Caroline and Cassidy, you will find, were our biggest fans, before there was anything to root for."

"Really?" A grin slowly spread across Andrea's face at Miranda's nod. "I knew I loved those girls for a reason."

Miranda's lips twitched as she tried not to smile. "Mmm...indeed."

"Well, why don't we put away work for an hour or so and give them a call? Then we can get right back to it."

"We?"

"Well, you. But I have to send out my resume before the story hits."

Miranda contemplated this for a moment. "Email Fran Livingston at The Wall Street Journal, Harry Kraus at Daily News, Margaret from Newsday, and Greg Hill at The Mirror. Last I recall they were all looking for new blood and with your copy editor duties while at Runway for the last six months, they'll all offer you a position it will be up to you on who to pick."

"Thank you." Andrea wasn't going to shun Miranda's advice. Not when she knew it could be useful. Miranda wasn't getting her the job, she was helping her find it. Andrea kissed Miranda again, thrilled that she now could kiss the editor whenever she wanted.

Miranda pushed Andrea off of her legs with a grin. "Let's call the girls, shall we?"

Miranda smiled at the thought of her children and their reactions to the news that she and Andrea, for lack of better words, were married.

Earlier in the day they had signed domestic partnership papers that Miranda's lawyer had filed first thing this afternoon. Miranda's Last Will and Testament had been adjusted (against Andrea's vehement objections) and Miranda's insurance company contacted to add Andrea onto her policy immediately. Andrea had terminated her lease and a moving company was already scheduled to arrive at her apartment and pack up her belongings and bring them to the Townhouse tomorrow afternoon.

They were moving fast, following Leslie's, Alice's, and Michael's suggestions. Alice had left for the evening with the promise to return tomorrow. A security firm that worked with the Underground had been contacted and hired to protect Miranda, Andrea, and the girls over the coming weeks. They would be working in the shadows never even seen, while Miranda hired Stone Security Services to provide her family with personal bodyguards. All in preparation for the coming media storm and any threats that might loom when the story broke of Andrea being an Omega.

They were as prepared as they could be for the world to learn of their relationship and for the world to learn of Andrea's omega status.

Leslie and Alice had decided the best defense was to have the best offense. They would announce Andrea's relationship with Miranda and her omega status at the same time. They already had an order of protection from the New York City police department and NY Supreme Court. Leslie had called Alice's contacts at the FBI and CIA to give them the advanced copy of the story as well as signed orders of protection from three separate NY supreme court judges thanks to Michael's pull. No government agency, renegade or sanctioned, was going to get their hands on Andrea without a fight. That just left mercenaries, which the double security forces would handle. They truly had this under as much control as they could manage in such a short amount of time.

Overall, they were as ready as they were going to be. In less than 48 hours Miranda and Andrea were coming out in more ways than one to New York, and the world as a whole, but first, they had to come out to their children.

The phone rang five times before it was picked up.

"Hi Mom!"  
"Are you feeling better?"

"Did you talk to Andy?"

"Hello, Bobbsey's. Yes, I'm feeling much better. I have Andrea here with me, you're both on speaker." Miranda said quickly, so the girls were aware of Andrea's presence and didn't say anything embarrassing.

"Hi Andy!"  
"Hey Andy!" They chorused.

"Hi Caroline, Cassidy."

"Girls, there is something very important Andrea and I need to discuss with you. But we would like to do so while you are in another room from your father."

"Uh...okay."  
"Hey dad, we're gonna go talk to mom. Don't start the movie without us!" Cassidy asked.

"Sure, tell your mother I said hi."

"We will!" They yelled before they went quiet for a while and the sound of a door being closed was heard.

"We're in my room." Caroline explained as she and Cassidy took a seat on the bed.

"What's going on, mom? Andy?"

Miranda looked at Andrea for a moment before she stared at the cellular device in her hand wishing she could talk to the girls in person. "Darlings, I wish this was something I could talk with you about in person. But there isn't much time."

Both girls gasped, "You're dying! You're never sick and you never don't call us." Cassidy proclaimed in despair.

Caroline was quick to jump on the train with her sister, "You said you were fine. But you're not!"

"No. No. I am _**not**_ dying. And neither is Andrea." Miranda added quickly before they could jump to that conclusion.

The girls sighed with relief, "Alright, then what can't wait?"

"There is going to be an article released, actually, there will be several articles released tomorrow regarding my relationship with Andrea."

"Kind of like the ones from last week?" Caroline inquired.

"Similar in nature, but…" Miranda faltered here.

Andrea put her hand on Miranda's shoulder and picked up where she had left off. "These articles are actually going to be telling the truth. But...the truth is a little different, has become a little different since you girls went to visit your father." Andrea hedged, hearing the uh-huhs echo through the line. "You see, I quit my job as your mother's assistant."

"What! No, you can't!"  
"Andy please, please don't quit."  
"You can't leave us. We, we need you. _Please…_ "  
"Don't go. Don't quit. **Please**!"

The girls were immediately hysterical, and Andrea felt her heart shatter. She wasn't sure if it was her own emotions or if her own despair was increased by Miranda's. All she knew was that hearing the girls sniffle and hold back their tears as they begged her not to leave them hurt the deepest part of her very soul.

"I'm not leaving you. _Any_ of you." Andrea reinforced the idea by meeting Miranda's eyes as she said it. "I love all three of you far too much to ever leave you."

"You're not…lah-leaving us?"

"No, sweetheart. I'm not. I'm actually...well, I'm."

"Andrea has moved in." Miranda quickly stated, biting the bullet. "You see, after Andrea quit she and I...well...we."

"Girls, your mother and I have bonded."

"Bonded?" Andrea cringed, had Miranda not explained what happened between adults that consented during heat?

"Joined...uhhum…gotten married" She didn't want to talk about mating and how the whole process ended up going, they were still a little too young for that type of conversation.

"You got married!?" Caroline screeched and Cassidy started crying all over again.

"Yes." Andrea and Miranda cringed at the sound of Cassidy's tears.

"I mean, we wanted you to date and stuff but...married!?" Caroline asked again, her voice raising at the term marriage.

"I thought you would be supportive…" Miranda hedged hoping she hadn't misunderstood the length of her daughter's support.

"Well duh, I mean. We're happy. I am, I mean, Cass?"

"You got married without us!" Cassidy whimpered.

Andrea swallowed thickly, "It wasn't that type of marriage sweetie. It was just signing a lot of legal paperwork and I mean...we didn't throw a party or have a ceremony or anything."

"Mom!" The girls chided in horror. "Did you at least give her a ring!?"

Miranda's eyes widened as she saw Andrea smirk. "I...I...uh...it was...you see…"

"That's terrible."  
"Andy, we're so sorry. She'll do better."  
"Won't you mom?"

Miranda grinned happily as she realized her daughters were outraged that they hadn't been involved with the 'wedding' and that she hadn't been romantic enough for them and given their new step-mother an engagement ring.

"Yes, I suppose I will have to with the two of you chastising me, won't I?"

"See, Andy. She'll do better." Cassidy promised.

"Yeah, she will. And we'll plan the wedding together then. As a family….right?" Caroline seemed a little worried by the mention of them all being a family. And the word alone brought tears to Andrea's eyes.

"As a family." She repeated, smiling through her emotions as Miranda squeezed her hand.

Miranda felt her heart melt as she listened to the girls ramble on about their sudden ideas for their 'wedding', but her eyes, her eyes stayed firmly glued to the beautiful woman whose hand she held. Bringing Andrea's hand to her lips she kissed her ring finger and silently swore she would place a ring upon it to show the world just how in love Miranda Priestly was with one Andrea Sachs.

"A family." Miranda repeated, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as Andrea smiled a megawatt smile at her.

"A family." Andrea confirmed and sealed it with a gentle kiss.

"Eww...gross. what are you two doing?"

"You're not kissing are you?"

"Uhhhghhh….I guess we'll have to get used to it, Cass."  
"Caro, hang up before I'm scarred for life."

The girls smiled from ear to ear as they hung up the phone. Giving their mom and Andrea the privacy they suddenly needed.

They couldn't wait to go home. The rest of their lives was just about to start.

 **End Part 8**


End file.
